I began my recovery journey in 2007 when my son was born. I struggled getting clean from opiates at methadone clinics, cold turkey, and managing my addiction by using other substances. It wasn't until I was introduced to the 12 steps in 2011 that I was able to experience sustained sobriety and begin to live up to the person I knew in my heart I could be. In 2016, having been given full custody of my then 7 year old child and staying with family that it became clear I needed to further my education to be able to earn a living and support my child by myself. During my first attempt at school it became clear to me that I was suffering from a learning disability of some kind, however, lacking the funds for health care this remained undiagnosed. I was given an opportunity to help start a supply business for a friend in recovery and his business partner doing marketing and promotion. My dream of finishing a degree and gaining a higher education while working this job ended when my sons mother overdosed and passed away. I was then offered a postion with full benefits and a stipend to have my son travel and home school with me while performing work for a competing company. This lasted for almost three years before we were bought out and I contracted covid-19. My initial symptoms subsided but long term symptoms worsened and my work asked me to look into receiving medical treatment. I underwent testing and was diagnosed with ADHD at the end of 2021. Being prescribed stimulant narcotic medication for my long covid and ADHD helped me return to work and have my most productive year until I started abusing the perscription in my ninth year of complete sobriety. This ended with me in the hospital and a treatment center. Staying completely clean for nine months our new business owners noticed my work not improving as it had before my relapse I made the decison to get back on the medication, the company then decided to let me go. Here I am registered for school classes--going to meetings, trying to help other addicts find and maintain their sobriety without a tangible means of supporting me and my son. Federal funds will support the cost of finally finishing a degree but because I have stopped and started it wont last the entire course of my education. I want to attain a degree that I can support my family and myself so that I can help others and show them that their is a future inspite of struggling with addiction. That no matter the defeats we face we can always face another day and do our best as long as we keep our minds and hearts on our goals and put the hard work in that those struggles require.