Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Hampton

Class of 2001

Current Role:

Co-Founder at Mobilize Recovery

Over five years into recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, Ryan Hampton has been rocketed to the center of America’s rising addiction recovery advocacy movement. A former White House staffer, he has worked with multiple non-profits and national recovery advocacy campaigns. He is now a prominent, leading face and voice of addiction recovery. He was part of the core team that released the first-ever U.S. Surgeon General’s report on addiction in 2016. Ryan connects a vast network of people who are passionate about ending the drug epidemic. He has been featured by—and is a contributor to—outlets such as USA Today, MSNBC, Fox and Friends, the New York Times, NPR, HLN, Vice, Forbes, Slate, HuffPost, The Hill, the Wall Street Journal, and others. A former aide to President Clinton, Ryan has received praise from Democrats and Republicans for addressing addiction as a trans-political issue—crossing the political spectrum to build an inclusive coalition. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has lauded that “Ryan’s story gives government leaders on both sides of the aisle smart commonsense solutions to consider.” His first book, “American Fix — Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis and How to End It” published by St. Martin’s Press, was released in August 2018. 

What was your most memorable moment at Marymount University? 

The day my dad dropped me off to Marymount and I walked into my dorm. I met my roommate and some of the first friends I’d had in a very long time. I felt at home immediately. I remember everything about that day. I never thought I’d make it to Marymount, and the pride my dad had when he dropped me off was something I will never forget. My dad passed a little over a year after that day–and it’s one of the best memories I have of him today.