About Alison
Hi, I'm Alison. I live in Ithaca, NY, with my two dogs, Estrella and Blue. When I’m not substitute teaching for the Ithaca City School District or working toward my full-time teaching certification, you can usually find me embracing the local community. I’m a regular participant in the monthly full moon lighted bike rides along the Ithaca Waterfront Trail—riding custom, front-wheel-power pedal adult tricycles that I built for myself and a friend.
My approach to education and wellness is deeply shaped by the advocates who came before us. I often look to stories like Judy Heumann’s memoir, Rolling Warrior, as a reminder of the power of advocacy, accessibility, and inclusion—principles that guide both my classroom teaching and my work at Teaching Ithaca Wellness.
Learn more about Alison via her blog and video projects, and by watching Teaching Ithaca Wellness video series on YouTube!
Alison is an alumna of Tompkins Cortland Community College, Empire State College, and Ithaca College holding an MS in Strategic Communication, RYT 200 hour yoga instructor, reiki practitioner, and therapeutic art coach. She is a skilled communicator.
Rawlins began a path of mindfulness and stress-reduction facilitation in 2017 with the first initiation and practicum in Heart Path Reiki completed May, 2017. During a retreat later that year, she was inspired to collect wellness experts for her Teaching Ithaca Wellness video series. She has continued working with many of those teachers, and continues to attend and present workshops of all kinds.
Rawlins discovered her passion for the listening, sharing space, and ways of being tender with one another in the Radiance Course at Yoga Farm where she also earned her RYT200 certification. Alison is passionate about assertive and respectful affirmative consent practice.
Qualifications:
Alison has successfully earned 3 graduate credits (SPED 6045) and 6 undergraduate credits (at Russell Sage through ELT) this spring. She plans to complete a 12-credit session from June 5 to July 10, aiming to achieve her initial teaching certification for Students Disabilities (SWD) across all grades through individual evaluation by September2026. Additionally, she will continue her studies part-time while pursuing her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT).
Alison has completed numerous hours of online training focused on effectively teaching students with disabilities.
Alison completed the online video training in February of 2019. Exploring inner goals through vision boarding and reflective journaling can be a powerful tool for self-discovery; Alison provides a supportive hand to guide this process.
Alison earned her 200 hour certification in yoga instruction in the Mindful Warrior vinyasa flow style taught at Yoga Farm in Lansing New York April 2018
She completed reiki initiations with HeartPath Institute in March of 2017 and June of 2018
Rawlins holds a Master of Science degree in Strategic Communication for Ithaca College where she assisted with undergraduate instruction in crisis management and professional development and earned a research fellowship for her thesis on organizational social media policies