2022 Tillman Scholar
Adversity is something Ashleigh is all too familiar with, yet not fearful of. Subjected to poverty, abuse, neglect, homelessness, and mental illness of a caregiver as a child, Ashleigh now dedicates every ounce of energy to giving back to the community. Prior to graduating summa cum laude with her master’s from ASU in 2015, Ashleigh conducted research on the correlation between Battered Child Syndrome and juvenile parricide. Ashleigh has since spent the last six years working directly with incarcerated youth, child victims of abuse and neglect, and families in need.
Ashleigh has served in AmeriCorps and Big Brothers Big Sisters and frequently volunteers her time serving the local community, to include local shelters and contributing to her husband’s Army unit. When not serving the community, Ashleigh enjoys exploring the world with her husband, CW3 Jacob Wootton UH-60 Instructor Pilot, and their five children.
Ashleigh has always dreamed of becoming an attorney, as it is an avenue to give a voice to those who have been silenced. While fully investing herself in public service, Ashleigh observed a significant need for advocacy in her state and felt compelled to make a bigger impact in the community, especially the children. As before, Ashleigh will be the first in her immediate and extended family bloodline to receive a graduate degree. Her personal goal is to not only give back to the community, but to provide a voice and invoke a change in the lives of those susceptible to adversity, as she once was.