Montoya Boykin is a Social Worker at?Akron’s?OPEN M?Ministry, a faith based nonprofit?organization?committed?to?providing?faith, health,?and hope to the underserved and disadvantaged population of Summit County.? Montoya?has a?B.A.?in?Social Work from the University of Akron.?She?is currently pursuing her MSW?at Walden University. Montoya has worked?in the nonprofit and?for-?profit?sectors, serving?low income families for over 17?years.? Montoya?also serves?as a Bridges Summit County?Liaison,?whose mission?is?to make a positive impact on?those?living?in poverty?through?education and,?individual and community change.?
Montoya serves as one of the Lead Bridges Summit County Getting Ahead facilitators;?leading?classes?at OPEN M as well as?at?the Ohio Means Job Center.?She has facilitated over 15?Getting Ahead classes,?which?have?graduated?more than?160?participants.?Montoya has?successfully?completed?the?Pre-Pilot and Pilot?Enhanced versions?of Getting Ahead.? In Summit County this Enhanced version?was created to help individuals?who?graduated?from?Getting?Ahead,?begin?moving forward into?gainful employment and/or?post-secondary education options.??This program was the first of?its?kind, and the outcomes have been?studied?using?a national Bridges scale.?
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Montoya is a Bridges Out of Poverty Certified?Trainer.?This training?enables?her?to use her passion and life experience?to study?the effects of poverty?on society. She teaches Summit?County?professionals?who interface?with low income workers?living in poverty,?how?to use?Bridges?materials.?The training?helps?with understanding the complexities of poverty, the hidden rules that exist between classes, and the barriers that exist for those?living?in poverty.?Montoya?is?also?a 2016 graduate of the?Neighborhood Leadership Institute, and?serves on the board of the Student?s?With?A?Goal (S.W.A.G.) program.???