A quality I value most about myself is my ability to remain resilient. I have been knocked down and have been at rock bottom so many times in my life and have faced desperation and intimidation in life events time after time yet I always remain an optimistic individual with true grit. When I was 17 I was in my prime doing well in my academics and school clubs until that Doctors visit. 6 months before graduating I was diagnosed with familial polyposis, it's a type of colon cancer and can be devastating. After my surgery, I was so depressed and was in bed for 1.5 yrs recovering. Within this time I managed to scrape by and graduate high school. However, that was it for me my future was over. I slowly became addicted to the medications I was prescribed and when my insurance ran out I was left alone in a world of full-blown addiction. This lead to years of jails and stealing from loved ones and overdoses. Through the grace of God and my higher power, I am sober today and I am a full-time student enrolled in SNHU to obtain my BA in psychology with concentrations in addiction. I have no friends left we all got into substance abuse together and I'm the only one left alive. After 4 overdoses myself, my last one occurring 4/20/21 which also so happens to be my clean date was the deciding factor that I wanted to not only live but to live in a way I could give back to others what was so graciously given freely to me. Today through my higher power and support system in and out of recovery I am aspiring to be a substance abuse counselor to help fight this growing epidemic on opiates and other substances and try to spare even just one individual from the pain and suffering by sharing the strength and hope of my experience. However, I can only accomplish so much on my own. I don't have any income except the 400 a month from SSI and no one to provide assistance with loans or financial aid. Through the power of scholarships and donations, I can make my dream a reality and try to help prevent what happened to me to someone else. Please help me make this a reality for me and everyone suffering. God Bless you and AMEN!

What separates me from the others is the fact that I never wanted to attend college and never had the chance because my senior year of high school I had surgery for a type of colon cancer. Luckily with hard work and homeschooling, I graduated. however, the surgery led me down the path of addiction, and just recently I was on my death bed suffering from an overdose coupled with a seizure. somehow by the grace of God I survived. I then checked in to detox and then a program. now I'm trying to go back to school to become a drug and alcohol counselor to share my experience strength and hope and help fight this growing epidemic.I am already accepted and received financial aid but only part-time. this money will help me become full-time and get all out-of-pocket taken care of as well as school necessities. Thank you and I pray for this Every night! thank you and AMEN

I have lost more friends and family than I can count on any number of fingers and toes. I just recently also suffered from an overdose. Today I am in active recovery and I am enrolled in school to one day become a drug and alcohol counselor to help fight this opiate pandemic by sharing my strength and hope and my personal sobriety as a tool to try and help abolish this epidemic on the person at time. Please help me to pay for my schooling to make this dream a reality. who knows maybe one day I will have someone you know as a client .Thank you and AMEN

I never had my dad. he was an alcoholic. his path led me to my path. I was diagnosed with a type of colon cancer. due to the pain meds I became an addict and myself in and out of jail. I am 36 yr old now and found NA. I am going to school to become a drug and alcohol counselor to share my story of not having my father because of jail and coming from nothing to fight against jails in one of the biggest ways I can, drugs!

The pandemic has affected me in the most positive way. I am now in recovery from drugs and alcohol. and I am now going to school to become a drug and alcohol counselor. If it wasn't for being out of work and losing my place to live because of the hardships of the pandemic leading me to my overdose, but I used that negative to make a positive, and today I am 100 days clean and sober and I start school august 30th. Anything helps to pay for my education. Thank you and AMEN

yes. I am a grateful recovering drug addict and I want a better drug-free future for our children to come. that's why through the help of staying clean someday at a time I am going to school to one day become a drug and alcohol counselor. I really know this will help future generations. If we don't start with this opiate epidemic we will never have a real future. Thank you and AMEN

My name is Joshua Taylor I am 36 yr old and I am a grateful recovering drug addict. I never wanted to attend college and never had the chance because my senior year of high school I had surgery for a type of colon cancer. Luckily with hard work and homeschooling, I graduated. however, the surgery led me down the path of addiction, and just recently I was on my death bed suffering from an overdose coupled with a seizure. somehow by the grace of God I survived. I then checked in to detox and then a program. now I'm trying to go back to school to become a drug and alcohol counselor to share my experience strength and hope and help fight this growing epidemic. I am already accepted and received financial aid but only part-time. this money will help me become full-time and get all out-of-pocket taken care of as well as school necessities. Thank you and I pray for this Every night!

I want to see the opiate epidemic and epidemics of all kinds with drugs be abolished. I am a grateful recovering addict. I overcame my overdose and addiction and am now going back to school to be a drug and alcohol counselor. I want to inspire others to avoid the path I went down. to be productive members of their family and society. i want to help make such an impact that everyone else will want to follow suit. I am in NA and I know anything is possible I've taken the steps needed to get to where I'm going. I just need help to fund my education to make this dream of a better future a reality. AMEN

l I had surgery for a type of colon cancer when I was 17 taking away my future. Luckily with hard work and homeschooling, I graduated. however, the surgery led me down the path of addiction, and just recently I was on my death bed suffering from an overdose coupled with a seizure. somehow by the grace of God I survived. I then checked in to detox and then a program. now I'm trying to go back to school to become a drug and alcohol counselor to share my experience strength and hope and help fight this growing epidemic. I am already accepted and received financial aid but only part-time. this money will help me become full-time and get all out-of-pocket taken care of as well as school necessities. Thank you and I pray for this Every night!