Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony McCauley.
Hi Anthony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Thomasville, NC, shaped by faith, family, and a community that believed in showing up for one another that’s where my roots go back to my Thomasville High School days. My path into service work wasn’t a straight line, but every turn built on the last. I spent years in direct human services as a Certified Peer Support Specialist working with individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder, as a Parent/Student Liaison and Career Readiness Tutor in Moore County Schools, and eventually as a Certified School Social Worker, where I supported at-risk students and families through crisis intervention and case management. I currently facilitate recovery and accountability groups through Drug Free Moore County and the BIPP program at Friend to Friend, and I’ve done human care work inside Scotland County Correctional as well.
Education has been part of that same climb. I completed my Bachelor of Social Work, I’m currently finishing my Master of Social Work at UNC Pembroke, and I picked up a TEFL certificate along the way. I hold certifications as a Peer Support Specialist, School Social Worker, and Recovery Coach, on top of training in trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and crisis de-escalation.
Writing has always been part of how I process and share what I’ve lived. I’m the author of Life’s Canvas: A Journey of Resilience and Service, part of a body of 18+ published works, and I’ve written three Amazon bestsellers in my Impact of Influence series Volumes 1 through 3, each one built around lessons in resilience, mentorship, and faith.
Alongside all of that, I’ve built out my own ventures: Gravity Drone Services, where I train FAA-certified drone pilots; the McCauley Institute, where I coach trauma-informed practice and run youth mentorship programs like MALES of Distinction and Ladies of MERIT; and I serve as a Guardian ad Litem advocating for kids in the court system. This year, that whole journey led me to win the primary for a seat on the Moore County Board of Education, because everything I’ve done teaching, coaching, advocating, writing has been building toward showing up for kids and families at the table where decisions get made.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all and, I don’t think anyone who’s actually built something worth having would tell you it was. Between growing multiple ventures, going back to school as an adult to finish my degrees, and just navigating life and family alongside all of it, there were plenty of seasons where it felt like too much at once. There were moments of doubt, financial strain, and just plain exhaustion the kind that makes you question whether it’s worth continuing.
What got me through it was a combination of things. My faith kept me grounded when I couldn’t see the next step clearly. The community around me family, mentors, people who believed in what I was building before I could fully see it myself carried me when I couldn’t carry myself. And honestly, a good deal of it was just refusing to quit. I’ve always believed that the struggle is part of the story, not something to hide from it. Every setback taught me something I now use to help the people I mentor and serve.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What do you do, and what do you specialize in?
At the core, I work at the intersection of trauma-informed care, education, and mentorship. Through the McCauley Institute, I specialize in trauma-informed practice consulting — helping schools, organizations, and individuals understand and respond to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in ways that actually change outcomes. That work shows up in youth mentorship programs I run, like MALES of Distinction and Ladies of MERIT, as well as in my role as a Guardian ad Litem, where I advocate for children navigating the court system.
I also specialize in workforce and career readiness — through Gravity Drone Services, I train FAA Part 107 certified drone pilots, giving people a real pathway into a growing industry. And across schools, correctional settings, and recovery programs, I’ve spent years as a Certified Peer Support Specialist, School Social Worker, and Recovery Coach, doing hands-on crisis intervention, case management, and group facilitation with people at some of the hardest points in their lives.
What are you known for?
I’m known for showing up — for kids, for families, for people in recovery, for anyone who needs someone in their corner. Whether it’s a courtroom, a classroom, a drone training session, or a recovery group, people know me as someone who brings both structure and heart to the work.
What are you most proud of?
Without question, the people I’ve mentored and helped along the way. Businesses grow, titles change, but watching someone I’ve coached or advocated for turn a corner in their life — that’s the thing that stays with me. That’s the real measure of the work.
What sets you apart?
I don’t just have the credentials — I’ve lived a lot of what I teach. I combine the lived experience of walking alongside people through recovery, trauma, and hard seasons with the formal training and certifications to back it up: a Master’s in Social Work in progress, a Bachelor’s in Social Work, and certifications as a Peer Support Specialist, School Social Worker, and Recovery Coach. That combination means I’m not just applying theory — I’m applying what I know works because I’ve seen it work, in the classroom, in the courtroom, and in my own life.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
If I had to name one thing, it would be resilience but resilience rooted in faith. I’ve never believed in giving up on people or on myself, even when circumstances made it easy to. That mindset has carried me through building multiple ventures at once, going back to school as an adult, and just weathering the hard seasons that come with trying to do meaningful work.
But resilience alone isn’t enough it has to be paired with genuine care for people. I think what’s actually driven my success is the combination of the two: a refusal to quit, grounded in a real commitment to showing up for others. That’s what’s let me stay consistent across very different spaces, the classroom, the courtroom, the recovery group, the drone training session because at the core, it’s always the same thing: don’t give up on people, and don’t give up on the work.
That kind of resilience isn’t something that shows up once and then you’re done with it, it’s something you have to choose again in each new season. Every time I’ve taken on something new, whether it was a certification, a business, or a mentorship program, there’s been a point where it would have been easier to stop. What’s mattered most is treating those moments as part of the process rather than a sign to walk away. Over time, that habit of choosing to keep going has become less about grit for its own sake and more about staying true to why I started in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mccauleyforboardofeducation.org/
- Instagram: @amccauley12
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.mccauley.426124
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-b-mccauley-93926490/
- Youtube: @anthonymccauley287
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-159539003-659627119
- Other: https://authors.tertulia.com/anthonybmccauley-draft6csznk/books
