What began with one woman taking a self-defense class has grown into a much larger effort to make violence-prevention training more available across Western North Carolina.
Carley Sassmann-Carter first attended a R.A.D., or Rape Aggression Defense, class in 2025. She was struck not only by what she learned, but by how many other women wanted the same thing. About 35 women and girls attended that class, and Sassmann-Carter remembers leaving with a simple thought: every woman I know should have access to this.
So she decided to help make that happen.
With support from REACH of Haywood County, local law enforcement and her co-instructor Aubrey Ray, Sassmann-Carter became a certified R.A.D. instructor and began helping offer more classes locally. Since then, the program has trained more than 70 participants in the region, and interest has continued to grow.
For the women who take the course, the impact is often about much more than physical self-defense. Participants talk about leaving with confidence, awareness and a stronger sense of their own abilities.
Lucy Cichon said the class helped her discover “awareness, confidence and strength I didn’t know that I had.” Melanie Donofro said she wished she had learned the skills when she was younger. “I am strong and I can take care of myself,” she said. “I have a voice, and I know how to use it now.”
Others describe the value of practicing repeatedly in a supportive environment. Elan Seago said she appreciated learning from multiple instructors and having a safe space to make mistakes and ask questions. Adrienne Pollack said the course should be taught to women beginning in high school because the techniques could potentially save a life.
The local effort has now entered a new phase. Sassmann-Carter and Ray recently helped host a train-the-trainer course that certified 24 new R.A.D. instructors, including 17 in Western North Carolina and nine in Haywood County. That is an important step, but those involved say certification alone is not enough.
The next challenge is building the structure to make sure those instructors are actually supported in offering classes. That means helping with scheduling, facilities, registration, equipment, outreach, scholarships and partnerships. It means creating a regional system where instructors are encouraged to keep teaching rather than leaving certification as a one-time accomplishment.
REACH of Haywood County is now helping push that next phase forward. With the addition of a full-time Community Educator, REACH is adding another instructor to the local network and beginning conversations about how to build out R.A.D. programming more intentionally with other nonprofits and agencies across Western North Carolina.
The vision is broader than simply offering more women’s self-defense classes. It is about creating a coordinated violence-prevention network across the mountains — one where people learn how to recognize danger, de-escalate situations, set boundaries, intervene safely when they see something happening,- and protect themselves when necessary.
R.A.D. programming for men is also part of those conversations, recognizing that violence affects people of all genders and that prevention has to involve the entire community.
What started with one crowded class and one woman deciding to become an instructor is now becoming a movement.
The next R.A.D. class in Western North Carolina will be held Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Waynesville Police Department, 9 S. Main St. The cost is $25, lunch is provided, scholarships are available, and graduates receive lifetime practice access. Spots are limited and are already filling.
For information, scholarships or registration assistance, contact rad@reachofhaywood.org.
The goal is no longer simply to train individuals. It is to build the systems, partnerships and community support necessary to make this kind of education a lasting part of Western North Carolina.