My name is Anthony I am 42 years old. I returned to school in 2021 and I was full of fear. At this time I had been out of school for 21 years. I signed up for a community college here in Springfield, Ohio. I began attending school online something else I was not familiar with. The following year I switched schools to attend an accelerated program because I wanted to accomplish this goal faster. I now attend Indiana Wesleyan and graduated with my associate degree in Human Services last February. I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work. I have run into an issue with my financial aid where I will not have enough to cover the cost of the remainder of my school. I will still have some financial aid but I will have to pay as I go. I am not sure how long I will be able to do that. I made mistakes in the past and used financial aid money for the wrong reasons. I am a recovering addict and I have been clean for 11 years, it will be 12 years on March 13. I am a chemical dependency counselor and I help clients daily who struggle with addiction. I struggled just like my clients and I was spared to give back and give hope to the clients I met. I overdosed a few times, I went to rehab a few times, I lied, cheated, stole, and caused a lot of harm because I was being driven by a lower power. I thank God that he saw fit to rescue me from the grips of addiction. The last time I used I overdosed on heroin and it was fatal. I woke up 8 days later after being on life support. One day my organs were failing, they are fully functioning today. Another day I had no brain activity, my brain was completely functioning and unscathed. Family from out of tow traveled here with funeral clothes because they were unsure if I would make it. I MADE IT!! I am grateful every I wake up and my life has changed so much. I attend 12-step recovery meetings, I have a sponsor, sober support. My education and completing my degree will help me continue helping my clients. I am reminded often by my clients how much they enjoy the space I provide for them to be heard, seen, and comfortable while they attend group 3-5 days a week. I love the work I do, I love helping people and my community. I hope to one day open my own treatment facility. This is only the beginning for me and my career. I also plan to get my master's degree following the completion of my bachelor's degree. I chose to go to school because it was the right time. I had to be sure I could dedicate my time and effort. I have never gotten the grades I have in school. I am proud of myself and my accomplishments thus far. I appreciate your consideration for this scholarship. Thank you for taking the time and read my application. Best regards to you all!

Hello my name is Anthony Fick I am 42 years old. I live in Springfield, Ohio and I am working toward my bachelors degree in social work. I am a recovering addicted and I have clean since March 13, 2013. I battled with depression, anxiety and my purpose in life at times. I started self medicating with marijuana and drinking alcohol sometimes. I did not like the way I felt so I had to alter that . This started at 16 years old and progressed as I got older. I began to use pain medication and added with marijuana, alcohol and opiates. I experimented with all drugs at some point and then I met heroin. I knew this was a mistake because I loved the way it made me feel. This continued this years, I went to school and received financial aid and only used the money for bills, drugs, or whatever I needed. I have always felt like I did fit in, heroin isolated me more. The last time I got high this was the 2nd time that I overdosed and I woke up 8 days later. I had been on life support and almost died multiply times. Once I was stable from waking up and became calm. I had to go a nursing home to regain mobility and strength. March 13, 2013 I have lived a different life and know that I spared to be here to help others suffering from the same disease that I have. I worked at a drug treatment facility and have been in this field for 5 years. I am a chemical dependency counselor and I enjoy this work. Even though it is hard somedays and can be hard mentally. I give my clients a safe place to feel heard, seen and cared about. My clients know I understand what they are going through and I try to help everyone I come in contact with. I need my degree to go further with my career. I am running out of financial aid by the end of my degree. My past mistakes with attending school and wasting financial aid. Today I am happy that I am in school, living a life I never thought it would be possible. I attend NA meetings, I have sponsor, sober support, family support, I help people, I know my purpose is to help people, I enjoy school. I know this hurdle with school financial aid will pass. I will receive the help I need and I will get through all obstacles. I am sorry to hear about your brothers struggle and I hope that I can one day make it easier for men to talk about mental health. The stigma that men carry with mental health and talking about it is real and it deserves to be talked about. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay. God Bless