Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Rouser.
Hi Tiffany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was younger, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. All I knew was that I had a desire to help young people, especially those who were often overlooked or left behind in some way–but I didn’t know what doing that work professionally would look like. After high school, I swore off going to college and just wanted to work and earn money.
I started working in the childcare field, where I stayed for almost 10 years. I loved the work, but after honest reflection, I knew I didn’t have it in me to work in that field for another 30 years, and that it wouldn’t be the best choice for creating the life for myself that I wanted. I randomly saw an ad for my local community college and decided to enroll. I fell in love with learning (something I didn’t love in High School), graduated with my Associate’s Degree, and a few years later transferred to the University of Michigan-Flint and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in Marketing.
I always intended to use my Communication degree to serve the community, going back to my desire to work with young people specifically. I was introduced to the non-profit field after being offered a job at the local Big Brothers Big Sisters as a Community Engagement and Marketing Coordinator. I fell in love with working in the community and felt immense satisfaction that my work had purpose beyond just checking tasks off a list.
Through that work, I was offered the opportunity to work for GEARup2Lead, a Flint-based non-profit organization that helps support young people earning their high school diploma. I was brought on to lead a County-wide effort called the Flint & Genesee County Opportunity Youth Coalition (OYC) that was focused on serving young people who have disengaged from work and school by connecting them to the resources and essential services needed for them to reengage with education and employment. My role there expanded, and I worked up to the position I am in now, Associate Director for the organization.
Working for GEARup2Lead has been a full-circle moment for me. They show young people and their families the importance of finishing high school and going on to post-secondary opportunities to provide for yourself and lead a stable, successful life. This is something I could’ve used growing up, since I didn’t immediately see the value in post-secondary education. Now, I get to share my story with young people to encourage them to pursue opportunities that will help them live the lives they want.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has definitely not been smooth, but it’s been worth it! I waited until my mid-twenties to go to college and didn’t graduate with my Bachelor’s until I was 29. Doing that while trying to work full-time and support myself was not easy. There were honestly times where I wanted to quit because it was so much to juggle. But through the encouragement of family and friends, I was able to make it through. I look back on that time now and am proud of my endurance and resolve, even though reaching my goals felt so far away and impossible at times.
Since graduating and starting my career, a big challenge I’ve experienced is that “helping” others isn’t as simple as it sounds. Through my work in the non-profit space, you’re often brought face-to-face with the disparities that are in the community. It can feel overwhelming to see the need and be tasked with finding solutions, when no perfect one exists. However, remembering that this work is done out of care for people, and not perfection, helps alot. People are thankful to see others who care about them working in the community, and helping even one person achieve their goals goes a long way and can have a positive effect on others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work at GEARup2Lead centers around supporting young people as they earn their high school diplomas and pursue post-secondary opportunities. Recently, we’ve added programming that adds additional support to young people, including a resource hub that I helped create and launch called The Engagement Center, and the Flint & Genesee County Opportunity Youth Coalition (OYC). These efforts acknowledge that young people do not disengage from work or school for no reason–there is always an underlying cause. Through these programs, I’ve helped create a landing space for young people and their families to come to when they are seeking education (high school and post-secondary), employment opportunities (jobs and career training), and essential services (food, clothing, mental health support, etc.). We partner with other organizations through the OYC to make these services more accessible for the community to take advantage of.
Creating and sustaining programs like this has been a dream come true as far as using my skills to help the community. Before you can help anyone, you have to listen and understand what they need. Many times, people attempt to help without doing their homework first or taking the time to center the stakeholders who will be the most affected by the outcomes. Helping to create and run these programs is something I’ve had the honor of being recognized for, most recently through the Michigan Afterschool Partnership as the recipient of their Community Engagement Award in 2026.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
When I learned how to drive, my dad would regularly remind me to take my time while trying to get from place to place. He would always say, “You’re not in a hurry.” Even though this was originally aimed at driving, I find that I remind myself, “I’m not in a hurry,” about many other things in life. Your life will go at the pace it goes. You can’t compare it to others, or even to where you’d hope to be at a certain point in your life. Many times when I thought the timing for something was terrible, it happened to be the timing that was needed to achieve success in areas I didn’t even think of.
Contact Info:
- Website: gearupflint.com and engageflint.com/oyc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gearup2lead_flint
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GEARup2LEAD
