The CADCA Ambassador Highlight Series: Juliana Langille

This is the third in a series of articles focusing on the young adults participating in the CADCA National Coalition Institute's Ambassador Program, a workforce development initiative. This week, we highlight Juliana Langille, from Brockton Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol in Brockton, Mass.

Ralph Nader, political activist and former U.S. presidential candidate said, “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” The CADCA National Coalition Institute’s Ambassador Program takes that premise and turns it to reality, cultivating future coalition leaders by offering them priceless opportunities and experiences to learn and grow.

26-year-old Juliana Langille, one of CADCA Institute’s first Ambassadors, has been active with the coalition for more than two years and serves as the group’s Program Coordinator. Ms. Langille has a background in community organizing and previously worked with families of victims of homicide and survivors of domestic violence. She found that substance abuse was an alarmingly common problem for many of the people with whom she provided service. She witnessed how substance abuse can destroy families and prevent victims from reaching out for help. Ms. Langille decided to get involved in coalition work because of its potential to help prevent substance abuse and reduce the issues and consequences she had seen it cause.

After making the decision to shift her career focus from domestic violence to substance abuse, Ms. Langille recognized that there was a huge learning curve she needed to overcome to truly be effective in her community. “I wanted to learn as much as possible and I discovered that there were many experts in the coalition field with a great depth of knowledge. I knew it was important for me and other new professionals to be able to learn from them,” said Ms. Langille. “When I heard about the Ambassador Program, I realized it was the opportunity I had been searching for. It has given me the opportunity to learn from experts in the coalition field and to network with other young professionals that are working to make positive change in their communities.”

So what does it mean to Ms. Langille to be an Ambassador? “It is an indescribable connection of knowing I am part of a bigger effort to prevent substance abuse. As an Ambassador, I know I am not alone and the opportunity to learn about the most current strategies in the field has enabled me to emit true confidence,” she said. “But most importantly, as an Ambassador I feel empowered by the support CADCA’s Institute has given me so I can become a better professional.”

The CADCA Institute’s Ambassador Program is geared toward adults age 18 to 30 and addresses a transparent need for young adult prevention workforce leaders in economically challenged communities. The CADCA Institute provides each participant with training at its globally recognized National Coalition Academy, CADCA’s annual Mid-Year Training Institute and its annual high visibility National Leadership Forum. Other relevant activities complement the formal training to provide Ambassadors with well-rounded and practical experience that equips them to serv their communities better.

To learn more about the Ambassador Program contact Janine Payne, Ambassador Program Manager, at jpayne@cadca.org.