WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP., Ohio (WDTN) — Alecia Roberson is the owner of Empowered Personal Protection LLC in Washington Township.

While she was going through her own firearms training, she realized something was missing: trainers who looked like her. She started her company back in December 2021 after realizing there were not enough women instructors in the firearm training industry.

“As the pandemic went on, the news kept saying how many women were purchasing firearms, how many people of color were purchasing firearms, and I felt like they would want, like I did, to learn from someone they were more comfortable with. That wasn’t my experience, so I decided I wanted to be the change I wanted to see,” Roberson said.

Her goal is to make everyone feel empowered when they take one of her classes, especially women.

“In their firearms journey, having the knowledge, skills, ability and knowing the laws behind it is extremely important because there are so many variables and so many things can go wrong,” Roberson said.

Roberson said the feedback has been great so far with women wanting to get their friends and families involved. Even her male colleagues see the need for more women instructors, including Michael Purvis. He owns Integrity 2A Firearms Training and often teaches classes with Roberson.

“She has perspectives I don’t have or other male instructors aren’t going to have necessarily, and so it’s awesome to see that,” Purvis said.

With Ohio’s new constitutional carry law going into effect this week, Roberson said firearm training and education is even more crucial.

“If you find yourself in a position where you have to use your firearm, there’s a lot that goes into that, what happens after that. Knowing how to use your firearm and when to use your firearm is paramount,” Roberson said.

To learn more about the classes Roberson offers, click here.