Since 1976, over 5,000 MSU students have made a difference in a youth’s life through Adolescent Diversion Program. This program would not be the success it is without their dedication and willingness to commit, learn, and adapt.
ADP alumni have gone on to careers in law, social work, education, public health, and more. They work all over the country from Maine all the way to Alaska.
Testimonials
“ADP and the time I spent with my youth has been the most foundational thing I've ever done. It is an incredibly beautiful thing in my mind. It's impacted me in the way I approach people in general, the way I think about how individuals were raised, viewing the differences between everybody, and how I think about the systematic factors that go into where people are in life. ADP has helped me realize how similar yet different everybody is. I believe ADP made me a better human, a better student, and a better friend. At MSU, it fulfills the experiential learning requirement, and it does exactly that. It is not learning through a textbook, presentation, or lecture. My kid taught me a lot of things, and I hope I was able to teach them as well. This was a very, very foundational experience for me.”
– Morgan Dodd ’26
“Through ADP's hands-on experience, I was able to develop my own values while helping youth explore and understand theirs. I entered the course excited about helping others and left with tools that will serve me throughout my career.”
– Monique Sampson ’25
“I took the Adolescent Diversion Program in my sophomore year and was astounded by the amount that I learned and took away from this experience! I got to work closely with a juvenile as their mentor which was the most incredible thing I have ever been able to accomplish. This led me to land an internship at the Macomb County Court over the summer where I learned even more about this profession and found my true passion for it. The Adolescent Diversion Program has truly changed my life as it allowed me to find my interest and expand upon that in the real world.”
– Jessica Bryson ’25
“This has been one of the best experiences that I've had at MSU. You get out of this program exactly what you put into it. This program will support you in every step. The instructors are phenomenal, and the whole team is incredibly supportive and truly cares about your success.”
– Fitz Newton ’24
“Through ADP, I was able to work with a mentee to facilitate positive youth development, and I quickly recognized how important it was to provide support and resources. Throughout this process, I distinguished aspects of the youth’s life that needed macro changes to make a real impact. There were many instances where problems occurred that resulted from systemic involvement, outdated policies, and familial difficulties. This program gave me the background and knowledge necessary to dedicate my career to making a real change in others’ lives through evidence-based policymaking.”
– Shannon Gielow ’23
"ADP helped me to learn more about the things that I was interested in. I think as a psychology undergraduate student, I just knew I wanted to work with youth. But ADP helped me understand what that really meant to work with youth in the community, to see some of the things they were really facing. It helped me think about what my entry points were to the work that I wanted to do."
– Briana Coleman, PhD ’15
“ADP made me look at life from a different perspective and taught me to be more hands on, more engaging and to meet people where they are. The youth that I experienced came from a difficult background, but what really helped me get through the program and changed my life, was learning to meet them at their level. It really opened my eyes to different perspectives and how to engage, but also how to get resources to help students. In my current position as a Program Consultant with the Michigan Public Health Institute, I deal with grants all day, which have a big impact for the community, for kids and health centers. So, it really shaped the way that I thought and how I could apply what I learned to real life situations.”
– Demetri Clanton ’14