I experienced every type of childhood trauma you could think of. I grew up in poverty and became deeply entrenched in active addiction.
Just a couple of years ago, I was facing up to 20 years in prison. I talked to my daughter on the phone from jail, and she’s like, “Dad, ask for help.” I told her, “They don’t help people like me.” She’s like, “Just ask.”
I was accepted by Judge Flynn into a special intensive program that taught me a lot of things about my addiction and about my trauma. I’m not making excuses for my behavior I did as an adult, but the things that happened to me, to be sure, did not help a lot. And, as I eventually came to realize, it was not that I had a drug problem; I used drugs to solve my problems.
Eventually, I reached out to Nick Hitchko at STEP-UP to see if I could go back to college. I also talked to my friend Art Sevilla about what degree and career I could pursue. He told me that with all my lived experience, I should be a Drug and Alcohol counselor. I’m indebted to him for providing me with that insight and direction.
I’m now in my fourth semester of the Drug and Alcohol Studies program at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. My ultimate dream is to get my BSW from Chico State and then get my MSW. I made the Dean’s list, and I’m part of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. I’ve actively participated in TRIO, EOPS, PACE, STEP-UP, and College Corps, and they are all amazing. Words fall short of my appreciation for all the people at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, like Chase Brown, Tulledo Johnson, Gena Aregeano, and Susan Westler. Nick at STEP-UP, my probation officers Delina Brown and Caitlin Avery, Visions of The Cross, and the honorable Judge Flynn…they’re all my cheerleaders.
My daughter called me “Dad” for the first time about a year ago. It was the most heartwarming thing that’s ever happened to me. I know what I want to do, and I have friends who love me for who I am, not for what I can provide for them.
Finally, after 40 years, I’ve found peace, and I’m excited to see what the future holds!