Wake Monarch Academy

10/13/2026

Recovery grows stronger when we work together.

Wake Monarch staff,Donna Pygott and Stephanie St. Romain, and board members, Justin C Garrity and Paul Crozier, joined recovery leaders at the 2026 Recovery Alliance Initiative Summit in Raleigh. We connected with treatment providers and peer recovery specialists, explored leading research, and heard from state leaders about statewide strategies to strengthen substance use services.

Our biggest takeaway? Young people need more than treatment. They need connection, community, and continued support to build lives in recovery.

We’re bringing these conversations back to Wake Monarch with a renewed commitment to youth and families.

We want to hear from you: What is ONE thing you would like to see improve in substance use and recovery services for youth?

Share your thoughts below. Your voice matters.

09/26/2026

So much love.
So much hope.
So many reasons to keep shining. 💜✨

Thank you for helping us Be the Light💡💜👟
Be The Light 5K

09/25/2026

💜 Wake Monarch was honored to be a vendor at National Save a Life Day! 💜

Today was all about education, connection, prevention, and saving lives.

The City of Raleigh, in partnership with the Wake County Drug Overdose Prevention Coalition and the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, brought together community members, organizations, service providers, and local resources for Save a Life Day — an overdose prevention training and resource fair focused on increasing awareness, building practical knowledge, and connecting people with resources that can help prevent overdose and save lives.

As an organization that supports young people and families through both Wake Monarch Academy and our Alternative Peer Group (APG), this mission is especially meaningful to us.We believe in creating safe spaces where young people can find connection, support, understanding, and hope — whether they are navigating recovery themselves or are impacted by substance use in their families and communities.

Being surrounded by so many organizations and individuals committed to helping our community was an incredible reminder that none of us can do this work alone.
💜 Every conversation matters.
💜 Every connection matters.
💜 Every resource shared matters.
💜 Every young person matters.
💜 Every life is worth saving.

09/21/2026

💜 A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who made the Be the Light 5K possible! 🧡
What an incredible day! We want to take a moment to thank every single participant, sponsor, volunteer, and supporter who helped make this year's Be The Light 5K such a meaningful success. 💜
To our participants, thank you for showing up, walking, running, and standing together in support of our students. Your presence means more than you know.
To our amazing sponsors, thank you for believing in our mission, and helping us continue to shine a light on recovery, hope, and brighter futures. 🧡
This event is so much more than a race. It's about remembering Matthew, supporting our students in recovery, and reminding young people and their families that they are not alone.
Together, we are making a difference. Together, we are being the light. ✨

💡📸 Pictures coming soon! If anyone has pictures that they want to add to our collection, feel free to email them to [email protected]

💜🧡

09/19/2026

09/15/2026

✨ BE THE LIGHT IS ALMOST HERE!! ✨

Saturday is going to be UNFORGETTABLE, y'all! 🎉 But before we hit the pavement, we need to give a MASSIVE shoutout to the incredible sponsors who made this whole thing shine bright! 💛💜

You showed up for our students. You showed up for recovery, education, and future. And honestly? You're the real MVPs. 🏆

🌟 TAKE A BOW, 2026 SPONSORS! 🌟
🏠 Daube Real Estate
🎓 WMA Alumni Class of 2025
🏡 Spine Properties
🏗️ Total Construction Solutions, Inc.
💪 CrossFit Surmount
🎨 Art House Inks
📸 Jeremy Davis Photography
🌱 Life Launch Recovery
🔱 Red Devil Lacrosse
🔥 Samuel 1865

Because of YOU, our students get to see what a community wrapped around them looks like. That's the whole point. That's the whole light. 🦋💡

⏰ NOW LET'S GOOOO — SEE YOU SATURDAY! ⏰
📅 Saturday, September 19
🕘 9:00 AM SHARP
📍 Apex Friendship High School

Bring your sneakers, bring your squad, bring your BEST energy — this is not just a race, it's a movement. Every step, every cheer, every high-five along that course is proof that second chances are worth running for. 🏃‍♀️💨🏃‍♂️

Your support makes a difference. Now let's make some noise! 📣💜🧡

See you at the starting line — let's Be the Light together!! ✨🌟✨

09/14/2026

Not every outcome fits neatly into a spreadsheet. Sometimes impact looks like:

💜 A teenager who finally joins the conversation.

🧡 A student completing an assignment they were convinced they couldn’t do.

💜 A young person choosing a substance-free activity.

🧡 A parent seeing hope return.

💜 A participant who once resisted coming now asking when the next group meets.

We measure outcomes because accountability matters. But we also pay attention to these moments because they are often the first signs that something bigger is changing.

Connection creates possibility. And possibility can change a future.

09/12/2026

“I don’t want to be here.”

Sometimes, that’s where the story begins. Then something changes. A teen stays for dinner. Joins the group. Laughs during an activity. Comes back the next week.

And eventually, “I don’t want to be here” becomes “I love this program. That is the power of connection.

At The Lounge at Wake Monarch, young people are finding a place where they can show up as they are, build relationships and discover that recovery does not have to happen alone.

Sometimes impact begins with one simple thing: They come back.