Keynote Speakers
Benjamin John Chin, now 25 years old, has been in recovery since age 19. He is currently a senior at Rutgers University majoring in Public Health and Linguistics, and plans to pursue a law degree with his sights set on influencing domestic health policy in the near future.
In his time at Rutgers University thus far, Ben has been a resident and active member of the Rutgers Recovery House as well as a member of the Rutgers Mountainview Project.
All of Ben’s involvement on campus contributed to his development as a leader making it possible for him to become a founding member of the non-profit organization Young People in Recovery, which is a grassroots advocacy organization that mobilizes the voice of young people in recovery from addiction. Ben also completed an internship at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration working in the Office of Planning, Policy, and Innovation.
These experiences equipped Ben with the resources to co-founded PTR Associates in January of 2013. PTR Associates is policy consulting firm dedicated to bringing recovery-oriented solutions throughout the spectrum of Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery services.
As a proud member of the Rutgers Community Ben received the Harry S. Truman Scholarship as the 2013 New Jersey recipient Ben believes all of his success has been made possible by the support of his family and the incredible mentors and friends that he has made throughout his journey.
Regina Diamond is a graduate student in the MSW program at Fordham University, and an alumna of Rutgers University. She is passionate about issues of social justice and equity; this is evident in her commitment to serve underrepresented and marginalized members of our community. She has earned a number of awards and scholarships for her leadership in the LGBTQ Community as well as her service and involvement with the Mountainview Program at Rutgers University. Ms. Diamond is a co-founder of the Rutgers University Mountainview Project (RUMVP) Student Organization. RUMVP members work with at-risk youth and incarcerated individuals in hopes of reducing rates of incarceration and recidivism. Ms. Diamond is also actively involved in forming the RUMVP Alumni Association. In telling her story of recovery from drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness and incarceration she hopes to raise public awareness and eliminate the stigma and stereotypes associated with these populations.
