My name is Ryan, and I'm a returning college student and a person in long-term recovery. I am aiming to pursue a career in teaching. My dream is to teach mathematics at the secondary and eventually the college level. Throughout my K-12 years as a student, I excelled in most subjects, but I had a strong affinity for math. Academics was something that I prided myself in, and much of my identity was tied to my performance in school. I liked being studious. I liked doing well on my assignments. I liked learning. However, in my early teen years, school would take a back seat as I began experimenting with drugs. These years were perhaps the most pivotal of my life. My self-identity was changing, but I didn't quite realize it at the time. I dawdled my high school years away. Even with all my truancy and lackluster effort, I managed to scrape by well enough on my academic performance to be accepted to Michigan State University in the Fall of 2007. It turned out to be an undertaking I was wholly unprepared for. I began developing more severe addiction issues. For several years, I tried to maintain two lives: one as a student and one as a burgeoning drug addict. It was a losing battle. Eventually, my identity as a studious kid who liked learning and being engaged and getting good marks on his report card, was completely obliterated. I became consumed drugs. Getting, using, and finding the ways and means to get and use more. I dropped out of school. I continued to use. Things continued to get worse. I went through jails, periods of homelessness, and several rehabilitation programs. I slept under bridges, in shelters, and in jails. Many of my friends, as well as my brother Matt, passed away from drug overdoses. I, myself, had three overdoses where I was revived by paramedics. By the grace of God, I was arrested (again) and placed in a drug court program. The support network I found through this program would become the biggest influence in my recovery and would inspire me to change my life. I have been clean and sober since February 7th of 2019. Looking back, it amazes me to think of the person I was and what my life was like, compared to now. I was homeless and hopeless. I was scared and lost. However, I now lead an inspired life. One of determination and hope. I work as a program coordinator for recovery housing. I was accepted back into Michigan State University in the Summer of 2023, and I am working on my bachelor's in physics with a minor in mathematics. In terms of teaching, I believe I bring a unique skillset to the table. In my journey of reclaiming self-identity, I've found that I'm more of an extroverted person than I ever knew. I've lived through adversity and encountered diversity. I've learned understanding and patience. Furthermore, I know firsthand how important it is to have strong teachers who can arouse passion within their students. My own teachers have inspired a passion within me. I want to replicate and improve upon that. I believe having strong math and science teachers is of particular importance in this day and age. I fought to get out of the grips of addiction, to reclaim my identity, and to get back in school so I can accomplish my dreams. Going forward, my dream is to teach. I would like to guide students through the pivotal years of their own lives. Years that made all the difference for me.

My name is Ryan McCormick. I'm a recovering poly-substance addict. My drugs of choice were IV heroin and cocaine. During my senior year of high school, I was accepted into MSU, and I attended from the fall of 2007 until the spring of 2015. My academic career at MSU was very rough, to say the least. In 2008, during my first summer break home from school, I was introduced to heroin by two of my old high school friends (who have both since passed away due to overdose). My addiction began to spiral out of control, and in 2015 after accumulating 76 credits, I dropped out due to my drug use and the unmanageability of my life. I continued to use. Things continued to get worse. I would end up getting arrested several times. I went through jails, periods of homelessness, and several rehabilitation programs over the next three years. I slept under bridges, in shelters, and in jail with bunkmates who were convicted of severe charges such as attempted murder and arson. Many of my friends, as well as my brother Matt, passed away from drug overdoses. I, myself, had three overdoses where I had to be revived by paramedics. By the grace of God, I was arrested (again) in January of 2018, which would eventually lead me to be placed in Drug Court at 54B District Court in East Lansing. My probation officer, Amy, would become the biggest influence in my recovery. She would help inspire and lead me to change my life. February 7th of 2019 is the date I've been clean and sober from all mind-altering substances. Four years and ten months. Looking back, it often amazes me to think of the person I was and what my life was like, compared to now. I was homeless and hopeless. I was scared and lost. However, I now lead an inspired life. One of determination and hope. I work at Mid-Michigan Recovery Services as a Program Coordinator for recovery housing. I am involved in recovery every day. I have friends in recovery. I also have a three-year-old son, who is an inspiration to me and one of my main sources of motivation. He is one of the main reasons I keep striving for success in life. I finished my associate's last Spring semester from Jackson College with a 4.0 GPA, while working full-time and taking care of a toddler: my son Finnley Ryan. I was fully re-admitted to MSU this past June. This semester, I am taking PHY 471: Quantum Mechanics. I am a Senior and I'm working towards my bachelor's in physics. My future goal would be to teach. I have a knack for communicating, which I found out in my recovery. I would love to be able to use my social skills, my experience with adversity, as well as my love for science and mathematics, to teach and reach the next generation. Teaching is a field that combines many things that I am passionate about.

I have been in recovery since February 7th, 2019. Nearly five years. My recovery has given me a life that is vastly different from the life my addiction gave me. In my addiction, my life was a daily struggle. I was consumed with getting, using, and finding the ways and means to get and use more. Every day. For many years. I was in and out of rehabs, homeless shelters, and jails. I lost jobs, friends, family, and my freedom. But the most profound thing I lost was my identity as a human being. Recovery may mean different things to different people. For me, it means several things. Recovery means re-discovering my identity that was lost due to my addiction. It means healing from past traumas. It means undergoing spiritual and emotional growth. It means learning to gain back self-worth and learning to love myself again. Recovery means learning to take responsibility for my decisions and ownership of my circumstances. Recovery means taking back possession of my life. For me, recovery has been a beautiful process of discovering, of healing, of growing, and of changing. Recovery is something to be supremely proud of. It means learning how to walk side-by-side with pain and discomfort. It means facing adversity and challenges head-on. It means not running. It means taking a stand. And it means overcoming. Recovery has given me a second chance at a fulfilling life.