Earlisha Killen is a breastfeeding peer counselor for the Riley County Health Department WIC program (Manhattan) where she works to support breastfeeding mothers and helps them meet their goals. Earlisha has a passion for working to break down the barriers to breastfeeding for African-Americans, who are among the most likely to discontinue breastfeeding. After struggling to breastfeed her first baby, Earlisha successfully breastfed her second child and continues to nurse her third baby who is now 15 months old.

From Earlisha: “I want to be the person who assists moms with discomfort or pain they may experience. I want to be the one who informs them that it does not have to be embarrassing to breastfeed a child. I want to be the person they turn to for support when their job does not know the laws for a breastfeeding mother or when a family member criticizes them for wanting to breastfeed their baby whenever and wherever baby needs to eat. I have been on the failing side of breastfeeding and I did not have a great support system to lean on when I was breastfeeding my first born. I want to be that person for a mother who is struggling, whether they are a first time breastfeeding mom or a seasoned breastfeeding mother.”

Earlisha holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Nutrition from Kansas State University, and is a member of the Flint Hills Breastfeeding Coalition.