Ms. Drake spent her early years working in office management, payroll, and collections. After her dream of owning an antique store failed due to the poor economy, she gave herself a blank canvas to create her future. She decided to go back to school. She earned her associate’s degree at Roane State Community College. While there, she was Vice President of Membership for Phi Theta Kappa from 2008 to 2009.

She then went on to attend the University of Tennessee, before transferring to Ashford University to obtain her bachelor’s degree. She majored in psychology, minored in sociology, and became a member of the Golden Key Honor Society. In 2010, she moved to Texas and enrolled with Walden University. In 2013, she earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology.

Penny did her practicum at Rockwall County Jail where she counseled inmates. She also worked as a parole officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice where she focused on recidivism.

For the past year, she has been a doctoral intern for Carewright Clinical Services working under Dr. Cartwright and Dr. Louanne Parker. Currently, she is working on her dissertation, which is focusing on pain management and opiate addiction. She plans to continue with Carewright as a Licensed Psychologist upon completion of her licensure.