05/18/2026
Jeri— one of the first assistantships to hit 1 year sober today!! 💙💚
I started using when I was 13 years old, and from that moment on, addiction shaped almost every part of my life. I spent years in and out of jail, and I went to prison three different times. By the time I was 29, I had already lost both my mom and dad. I shouldn’t be here today . I’ve been Narcan’d four times, and I put myself in more dangerous situations than I can count. For a long time, I lived like someone who didn’t expect to survive.
When I came to Yonder, it wasn’t because I wanted help. I was court‑ordered, angry, and had no intention of staying sober. I had been to treatment before, and I didn’t believe anything could be different for me. But something happened here, something I can’t fully explain except to say that the steps, the people, and the structure finally broke through the denial and the chaos I had lived in for decades.
At that time, my life was falling apart. I was on academic probation and close to being kicked out of school. I had no job, no car, and no sense of responsibility. I wasn’t showing up for my kids or my family. I didn’t know how to be a mother, a daughter, a friend, or even a functioning adult. I had never been responsible a day in my life.
Yonder gave me the start to a life I honestly believed was out of reach for someone like me. Slowly, I began taking suggestions. I worked the steps. I listened. I showed up even when I didn’t want to. And somewhere along the way, everything started to change.
Today, I am sober—not just clean, but truly sober in the way that touches every part of my life. I’m responsible. I’m present. I’m living a life I used to only dream about. I’ve made A’s and B’s in school and recently earned a spot on the Dean’s List at the University of the Cumberlands. I became full‑time staff at Yonder, and I’m waiting on board approval to become a CADCA counselor. I’m coming up on my first full year of sobriety, and for the first time, I understand what it means to be a mother, a friend, and a coworker.
I pay my bills. I own my own car. I work full‑time, and I’m a full‑time student. I’m comfortable in my own skin, something I never thought I’d be able to say.
My life is worth living today. And I owe so much of that to Yonder. I will always be grateful for what this place gave me: a chance at a life I never thought I deserved, and the foundation for the woman I am becoming.
Picture was “before!”
