About Brandon

Brandon Pasker is a public speaker who shares his lived experience of recovery from mental health issues and substance use, as well as overcoming significant adversity through resilience, faith, and perseverance. He brings a rare ability to authentically articulate the realities of living with mental health challenges, using his story to educate, encourage, and inspire audiences while demonstrating that recovery is possible.

Brandon’s journey is uncommon. While in college, he navigated the challenges of mental health issues while balancing academics and collegiate athletics, later experiencing involvement with the criminal justice system and the mental health system. Through recovery, personal accountability, and a steadfast faith, he rebuilt his life and now uses his experiences to offer real-world insight, perspective, and hope. His presentations encourage audiences to see that setbacks do not define a person’s future and that resilience can be developed, one step at a time. Brandon speaks to schools, universities, mental health and substance use organizations, behavioral health providers, community groups, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, crisis workers, and others who value an honest and human perspective on recovery.

Brandon’s presentations go beyond simply telling his story. He connects with audiences through honesty, authenticity, and firsthand experience, creating space for meaningful conversation about recovery, resilience, and hope. Drawing on the role that faith has played throughout his own journey, he encourages audiences to believe that growth is possible even in life’s most difficult moments. Every presentation is thoughtfully tailored to the audience, helping people better understand mental health issues, recovery, resilience, the power of gratitude, perseverance and the importance of faith. Attendees  leave with practical encouragement, renewed hope, and a deeper belief that recovery and personal growth is possible for anyone.

In addition to speaking, Brandon is a Board Certified Peer Support Specialist, serves as a Mental Health Outreach Coordinator, and is a Member of the Community Care Behavioral Health (CCBH) Member Advisory Board. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Associate’s degree from Ohio University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. During his time at Ohio University, he was elected to and inducted into the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society.