About Ivana Grahovac
Program Coordinator, Center for Students in Recovery - University Health Services, UT Austin

Ivana received her master's degree from the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 2009.  Prior to working at UT-Austin, she worked for three years in direct care with people receiving inpatient treatment at Brighton Hospital, a substance use facility.  Prior to working in the recovery field, Ivana worked as a press office intern in the White House.   She is the daughter of Croatian immigrants, and has an older sister and a very old yet spry shetland sheepdog named "Medo," all who reside in Michigan.  Ivana is very excited to live in Austin and be employed as a Longhorn, and is grateful for the ability to raise awareness regarding the rewarding experience of choosing a recovery lifestyle.

Was there a particular experience in your life that prepared you for leadership?
Yes, turning 13 and lobbying for the war to end in Croatia, and advocating for my homeland's freedom and democracy. It was a challenge to see such tragedy and bloodshed occurring in a beautiful country that at the time, not many people around me were aware of. I made it my mission to use every opportunity available to teach people about my country and the culture, and became a full-time lobbyist before I could even drive.
What is the most rewarding thing about working in public/social service?
The most rewarding thing about living a life in service to others, is that it requires me to transmit positivity, warmth, caring, and kindness almost all the time. And the rest of the time, when I am not in that space, I have this awareness that I am falling short of my principles and better get back on quick! It also requires me to find something to love and appreciate in every single person I interact with, which is very humbling.
What was the 'aha' moment that got you started in your current career/line of work?
The "aha" moment that preceded me finding this line of work, was having the experience of being a student who was already years into a recovery lifestyle, but needing to survive a very intense master's program at a university with lots of partying, and no resources or support for students in recovery. I saw a need, and worked to create a solution in the form of a recovery-oriented student organization, that united both sober students and their student peers who wished to support them. I had no idea a small number of universities were already offering formal centers with this type of support, until I received an email about the job I currently have. It felt like it was my destiny.
What is the one thing that you want to tell Austin about your organization?
I want to tell Austin thank you so much for having enough involvement and awareness to understand the need to support people who need to change every single thing in order to stay alive, and eventually thrive and give back to their community. By investing in students who are not only staying clean and sober, but pursuing an education, you are going to see your investment return tenfold to your community.
How long have you lived in Austin? What brought you here?
I have lived in Austin for almost 11 months, and moved down here to work in my dream job and be a Longhorn.
What gadget can't you live you without?
Gadgets I can't live without? My old fashioned coffee siphon. It is a strange looking glass contraption that produces the most high-octane, sumptuously flavored coffee that delights everyone who gets to sample the fruits of its labor. That, and everybody needs a scooter in their lives. My black chrome-flamed Vespa LX150 is the pony I never got to have as a child.
What's your favorite Austin outdoor, entertainment or dining experience?
A perfect day in Austin would combine the following three elements: a ten mile run through Scenic Drive and up Mt. Bonnell for the outdoor experience, watching people of all shapes and sizes perform death and girth-defying feats of fancy on the diving board at Barton Springs for entertainment, and refueling with delicious Conan's whole wheat deep dish pizza on 29th street.