HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA (September 9, 2025) — Marshall University student Brooklyn Johnson has achieved national recognition as the youngest Certified Prevention Specialist in the United States, officially credentialed by the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals (WVCBAPP).
Johnson, a 21-year-old Huntington native and first-year medical student at the Marshall University Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, has been a student trainee with the Prevention Empowerment Partnership (PEP) for several years.
PEP is a program of the Center of Excellence for Recovery within the Marshall University Research Corporation.
Through her work with PEP and its Workforce Development Trainee Program, Johnson gained the training and experience needed to meet the rigorous requirements for prevention certification in West Virginia.
“Prevention has been dear to my heart since eighth grade,” Johnson said. “I wanted to break the trend of generational substance-use disorders and create the resources I wish I would have had when I was younger. Becoming a Certified Prevention Specialist isn’t just about my passion for prevention — it’s about carrying that knowledge and lifestyle with me through medical school and my future career as a pediatrician.”
She credits PEP for making this accomplishment possible.
“Without PEP I would not have been able to obtain my certification,” Johnson said. “They provided me with experiences and trainings I wouldn’t have had otherwise. They believed I could do it, even though I am so young, and for that I am eternally grateful.”
Angela Saunders, director of PEP, praised Johnson’s achievement.
“I could not be more proud of our Workforce Development Trainee Program and Brooklyn Johnson for being the first trainee to complete all the requirements and pass the Prevention Certification Test, making her the youngest Certified Prevention Specialist, not only in West Virginia, but in the nation,” Saunders said. “Our goal is not to change what our trainees do with their lives — we want them to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, counselors, or whatever they desire — but we want them to take prevention science into all professions. That is how you change the world of substance use and prevention.”
Launched in 2022, PEP’s Workforce Development Trainee Program was designed to engage the next generation of prevention professionals by pairing evidence-based training with hands-on community work. College students gain critical workforce and leadership skills while directly reaching local youth with prevention programming. The program helps fill a critical gap by building prevention capacity in West Virginia while also equipping young leaders like Johnson to integrate prevention into future careers.
Johnson began the credentialing program as a freshman in Marshall’s BS/MD program and is now a trailblazer for the state and nation. With career aspirations of becoming a pediatrician, she plans to integrate prevention science into her medical practice in order to help address the root of substance use.
For more information about the Prevention Empowerment Partnership, visit pepwv.org/
Visit wvcbapp.org/applications to view the list of requirements for the Prevention Specialist Certification.
