I am 39 years old and an addict in active and sustained recovery of 27 months. What recovery means to me is not letting your past define you. I struggled with addiction for 22 years and felt that I was never going to break free from the chains. I was given the opportunity to attend a long-term inpatient treatment center where I spent 120 days healing and recovering from my addiction. Recovery to me is pushing yourself to do better. To me, it's not just about being sober it's about showing up every day for yourself and going above and beyond. Sometimes in recovery, we become complacent and to me, it's not letting that complacency take over you. I believe to be successful in recovery you have to step outside of your comfort zone to achieve milestones. My recovery is a commitment that I show up for every single day.

I am a recovering addict. I currently have 27 months of active and sustained recovery. I struggled with addiction for 22 years. I made the choice to use Methamphetamines starting at the age of 16. I had 6 years of sobriety while I was pregnant with my 3 daughters. Unfortunately, I was also in a very abusive relationship that pushed me over the edge and back into using drugs to cope with the emotional and physical pain. I ended up losing my daughters they were adopted by my mother. I was fortunate that my mother was able to step in and take care of my children. I spent many years trying to overcome my addiction. During the last 13 years, I was in and out of jail numerous times. I was sentenced to three years of community corrections. I completed the program however I did the minimum to receive treatment and get the help that I needed. I thought that I was "cured" of my addiction and sadly I ended up right back in the mix and using drugs. I got arrested and ended up back in jail and this time was for the last time. I asked my attorney to help me get a bond to go to treatment. I was very fortunate that the judge granted my bond and I was allowed to attend a long-term inpatient program at the Women's Recovery Center. I spent 120 days in this program and I am forever grateful for the opportunity it gave me to change my life. I made a promise to myself that I was going to be successful and use every tool that I learned in treatment to build a better life Today I work in a detox center where I help addicts and alcoholics get the help they need. I also run a recovery home for Women with children that are rebuilding their life after addiction. I teach these women that their past does not define them and that you can achieve any goals they set their minds to. I also teach these women basic life skills such as cooking, how to pay bills and how to manage a household. Not only am I helping others in recovery but I am also teaching my daughters what it looks like to be a successful woman and how to rebuild your life basically from scratch. I am currently enrolled in school so I can obtain my bachelor's degree for my dream job which is to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Family Therapist. Eventually, I would like to go for my masters degree. I understand this is going to be hard work mentally and financially. I am asking that I be considered for this scholarship. Thank you for your time Charity Perschbacher