I have spent the last eight years in continuous sobriety becoming an addictions professional by pursuing my educational and lifestyle goals. Years ago I had no education, passions, goals, or positive change in my life; this led to my head diving into a life riddled with heroin and methamphetamine addiction, ultimately leading to homelessness and incarceration. Most people would think that incarceration would send me spiraling even further, but for me, it was the opposite. Incarceration changed my thinking and beliefs. It was the first time in years that I was safe, looked after, held accountable, and surrounded by difficult yet powerful inspiration. The moment I arrived at the gates to enter into the place I would call home for the next 12 months, was the moment I decided I wanted something better for myself. While drowning in the fear and chaos that came with active drug use, I gained the belief that the world owed me something. I didn’t go ten minutes without blaming someone or something for my “misfortune.” I was faced with a choice, to return to homelessness and hypodermic needles with a 72 month sentence hanging over my head that required complete abstinence with no support. My second choice, I could stop fighting and surrender to the fact that I had lost control, creating severe unmanageability and needed help that I could not give myself. The latter choice was made and this was the first moment in years that I believed in myself enough to put my fears aside. I asked the public defender to request a deal that required incarceration. I was just as flabbergasted as the attorney when the words left my mouth. I was offered the deal three hours later. Through my addiction, I had come to believe that my family had it out for me. I ran from them at any chance I got. It was when my mother reported me missing and found out I told the police to close the report that they all decided the horror and constant anxiety they felt over my well-being was too much to stand. We went years without speaking. This unfortunately included my young child, with whom they cared for. In my heart I thought that they hated the person I had become and wanted nothing to do with me; I chose to remove them from my life. During the first month of incarceration, I was speaking to my mother, grandmother, sister, and even my son. My understanding of their ideas of me were wrong and they swooped in to support me on my journey into recovery. I’m proud to say that my son has been with me for the last seven years and is a happy, healthy, sometimes moody, teenager, who now has a younger brother. When I was released from prison, I never stopped believing in myself. Though college felt frightening, my determination outweighed my fear. I worked full time as a movie theater supervisor while working on an associates degree in addiction studies. My life changed drastically as I learned more about helping others through their addiction. Many of the past eight years have been spent in school, working in the recovery field, and now working full time as an Adult Residential Clinical Supervisor. Addiction to drugs caused more of a disbelief in a happy life, while recovery has given me belief in myself and belief in the power of helping others. I wish to continue my education to the fullest extent until I can achieve my dream of opening a nonprofit organization. Thank you so much for your consideration.