Tell us about yourself.

 

My name is Manford F.  I’m a Sophomore majoring in Special Education. I chose my major because I want to be a Special Ed. teacher. I was originally going to be an Elementary Education major, and I actually was working in an Elementary school earlier this semester – however, I changed my major because of that experience.  I liked Elementary Education but I didn’t love it. I reached out to people, got some feedback, and realized that Special Education appeals to me more.

 

Part of the reason I chose Education in general is because I’ve always looked up to teachers. My dad is a teacher and a lot of his friends were teachers. A big part of my decision was made because of how much I enjoy myself whenever I get to teach other – I really like helping people.

 

What brought you to Augsburg?

 

StepUP was absolutely the reason I came in the first place. However, once I got here, I loved the class sizes. Personally, small class size is important for me to succeed. I like to have personal one-on-one talks with teachers and you can’t get that at other colleges where there’s three hundred kids in one class and one professor. The teaching styles of the professors here are also awesome -they know what they’re doing, especially in the Education and Teaching department.

 

If I had to highlight a specific instructor, I’d have to say Elise Marubio, the American Indian Studies professor. She is so incredibly well-educated – anything that I asked, she knew the answer to. She was able to express her knowledge to the students in a way that not just was easy to comprehend – she could also relate it to us in a way that was interesting and personable. That’s the class that I learned the most in.

 

What do you see yourself doing post-graduation?

 

Since I’m only a Sophomore at this point, I don’t know for sure. If I’m able to I’d like to travel while I’m still young – I would love to explore South America. I’ve always had this dream of backpacking across the South American countryside. Outside of achieving that dream, I’m planning on eventually going back to Alexandria, MN where I grew up. I’d like to teach there and have a family and all of that stuff.

 

What was the deciding factor on you attending StepUP?

 

It was my overnight visit here. I met up with one of the current students and  stayed with him for a night in the flats. This particular student was well known in the community and he knew everyone. I was so impressed with the community here and felt like I could talk to anyone almost right away. Most importantly, we all had something in common – addiction. Regardless what we’re addicted to, we have that in common. The goal of higher education is something that we all share as well.

 

Now that I’m actually here, I love the community. I realize now that that’s what got and kept me sober. When I was using, I was always trying to find a place where I could be myself and be accepted. I could never find that place until I came here and found these people who were just  like me. I feel like I don’t have to hide from myself here, which is amazing. I can just be myself and be sober. This community is what allowed that to happen.

Who in StepUP do you look up to?

 

My friend Bo is a huge inspiration to me. We met last year because we used to play ping pong together all the time. Through his friendship, I’ve gained a sense of spirituality. I never had that until I met him – it’s one of those friendships that ends up changing your life and how you look at things. It’s still something I’m working on – I’m still finding my spirituality. I’ve learned to look up to that idea whereas when I started here, it didn’t even cross my mind and if it did, I didn’t entertain the idea. He’s really opened my mind in a lot of positive ways, and I’m grateful for our friendship.

 

 

Do you have any words of wisdom to impart to new students?

 

Number one: don’t skip classes. You are here to get an education. Don’t forget it.

 

Secondly, connect with people in StepUP. Be that social person and make friends. Find people that do the same things that you do and be your real self with them.

 

For me, it’s all about finding people who allow you to be yourself and allow you to be vulnerable around them. It’s easy to isolate, but I’ve found that the more social I am, the happier I am in general and the better I do in school. For example, doing homework with your friends. It’s something small that contributes a lot to the way that you end up doing in classes and strengthens your bond with your friends.

 

Lastly, I’d say that it’s also important to branch out of StepUP. It can be easy to get sucked into this sort of StepUP bubble. Get involved in extracurricular activities, so you can be with people you have something in common with – even if that something isn’t addiction. I’m in an intramural soccer team with a bunch of StepUP kids. We won last night, 10-4, and I’m pretty sure the team we played was the Augsburg baseball team. It was funny, they were all doing drills, warming up, etc. before the match, and then there’s us – we’re a man down, all pretty out of shape (for the most part), and we absolutely dominated! It’s a lot of fun.

 

Thanks, Manford!

 

Tell us about yourself!

 

My name is Collins, and I’m from Des Moines, Iowa. I’m currently a Sophomore at Augsburg. I’m a double major in Secondary Education and Communicative Arts and Literature. That’s a lot of words, but it boils down to an English major that translates into teaching. Communicative Arts is basically the study of how you communicate literature effectively. My classes are heavily based in literature, writing, argumentation, and a lot of public speaking.

 

What brought you to Augsburg?

StepUP brought me to Augsburg. I had applied to a lot of other colleges, many were more well known and closer to home than Augsburg. I got the acceptance letters back and had received a handful of scholarships. At the time, I felt like I should have been excited but I was more focused on trying to get sober. I had six months clean at the time, so even though it seemed like college was all set up, I just didn’t feel like [going to college] would work for me.

 

The deciding factor was hearing students speak. I remember when I was in treatment, some women from StepUP came and talked to everyone about the program. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about college – I was simply focused on not using. I remember these two women really well – one had just graduated and was a really big leader in the community. The two of them spoke about their college experiences while seeming happy, healthy, and put together. I wanted the experience they were describing, and I wanted to be just as happy, healthy, and put together as they were. Of course, my decision wasn’t based entirely on those women but it was definitely a good influence on me.

 

What’s your passion?

 

I would say teaching is my passion, both in a classroom and being an RA for the girls in the flat. Working with my residents and being able to teach them what StepUP is about and how it changes – that is an automatic feel good moment. I enjoy any opportunity to teach. I find that so interesting, because none of us really had a “automatic leadership role” when we got here – we had to step up to the plate. However, that’s another thing I love about StepUP – we definitely don’t all come in as leaders, but the staff provides the community with so many leadership opportunities here. We’re able to establish those roles and feel confident.

 

Who in StepUP has heavily influenced you, whether it’s a peer, alum or staff member?

 

I feel like this might be a really incorrect answer, but I met my boyfriend here and he is just a really healthy, positive person in the community. I think he’s influenced me in a lot of good ways. He shows me what a healthy relationship is in recovery. That positivity is an essential part of this whole experience.

 

My other really good friend here has influenced me so much because she’s kind to everyone – even when it’s not convenient. I feel that everyone knows that feeling – where sometimes it’s easy to be friendly, sometimes it’s hard. However, my friend is such a kind person – even though her life isn’t easy at times. She never lets anything personal effect how she treats other people. She is a sweet presence in this community and has really influenced me in that regard. She makes me want to be a better person. I love her.

 

Do you have any words of advice for new students?

 

I would say, don’t have any very concrete, preconceived notions of what’s going to happen here. The people that you think you have to befriend, what your major is, everything – it is likely to change. It is much more important to be open to everything and realize that life in StepUP is not always perfect – it is still a human experience. However, all that insecurity and doubt in the beginning – it gets easier as you go along and adjust to the community and sobriety over time. You will change, but in good ways.

 

What is your proudest accomplishment?

 

My proudest accomplishment is staying clean. Not just getting clean, but staying clean. What does a drug addict want to do? They want to use. I’ve had friends pass away while I’ve been clean, overdoses and such, and that was hard. Breakups and other disappointments have not been an excuse to use either. I’m really proud of myself and my commitment to sobriety.

 

What keeps you here? What’s the most valuable part of this program for you?

 

The feeling of fellowship is the biggest part of StepUP to me. As an RA, I know that we don’t live in a perfect community, and we don’t pretend that we’re a perfect community. We have issues and differences, but we’re all just trying to live again and be adults. While we may not always be in the same spot as one another, there’s a real bond that lives here that I probably wouldn’t have in a “normal” dorm. If I’m upset or if I’m struggling I can walk outside and ten different people will ask me to go to a meeting, get coffee, tell me they love me, give me a hug – whatever I need. I get so many hugs every day. For me, it’s the fellowship that makes StepUP a great program.

 

Thanks, Collins!

 

 

 

 

Tell us about yourself.

 

My name is Blake H., and I’m from Fairbault, Minnesota. I’m currently a Junior, double majoring in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Marketing. I also have a minor in Business Administration.

 

That’s a lot of subjects! Did you come into Augsburg knowing what you wanted to do?

 

Not at all! I started off my college career determined to major in Computer Science in 2009.  I then switched to art for a while and did that for a couple of years. Unfortunately, I think that choice was my addiction speaking. That didn’t work out at all. When I eventually came to Augsburg, I was thinking about looking into sociology.

 

I obviously had a lot of ideas about what I wanted to do. At this point in time, I was sort of turned off to Marketing, as I had the impression that it wouldn’t result in job security. That was until I took my first Marketing class and absolutely loved it. I wanted to find a way to balance job prospects and still take classes that excited me. At this point, I turned to MIS and I recently reincorporated Marketing as my second major. I told myself that if I work hard, I can double major and still graduate on time. I won’t be able to take as many electives, but I can push myself to pursue other interests outside of school.

Word on the street is that one of those other interests is music.

 

Yes, absolutely. Artistically, music is the number one way I express myself – I love to mix and listen to music. I decided that I wanted other people to hear the music that I was making, so I started DJing.

Currently, I’m able to DJ at a bar twice a week, on Thursday and Saturdays, and it’s awesome. While I’m there, I’m able to mingle with all of these people who I wouldn’t otherwise talk to. I take requests and talk about music with people all night. It’s still hard for me to believe I get paid for it! I spend a lot of my free time listening to music, so I’m basically getting paid to do something I would be doing anyways.

 

Is that something you’d want to turn into a career?

 

Whatever my career path ends up being, above all I want to be of service.  I want to make the world a better place. It could be the Peace Corps or it could be something else – I don’t know yet. I just want to work for a business where I can increase their efficiency and know that I’m helping a company that does good things. I want to do something that allows that side of me to be expressed on a daily basis.  I think this desire to help others stems from my upbringing.

 

How has your upbringing influenced you?

 

I grew up in a really close, big family.I have two little brothers, three sisters, and a niece and nephew at home. My aunt was always around too – she’s like a big sister to me. We’ve always had a full house: full of friends and people staying over… Especially those that may have not had other places to go. I loved that environment and I want to continue helping as many as possible.

 

 

Do you perform a lot of service in StepUP?

I do a lot with Leadership Team at StepUP – I’m the chair for service. I help to maintain service commitments and check on people to make sure they’re doing okay. Being a part of that has been awesome, as it has allowed me to connect with the newer students and get them involved in the StepUP community.

 

I also try and get as many new students to come and enjoy weekly circle: a gathering of StepUP students and counselors to discuss current events. If you’re a first year here, I highly recommend that you go to circle. Usually, the people that don’t show up to their commitments end up relapsing. You have to hold yourself accountable here. If you foster relationships with the right people, you have that accountability.

 

Because I’m a Sophomore, I got to help out with the Freshman orientation this year. It brought me back to my own orientation. We’ve got orientation, we’ve got graduation, etc. Every event has significance. Even Thanksgiving – I mean, yeah, everyone’s excited about the food but it’s really representative of something greater. Graduation is incredible to see too.

Every event has some type of significance.

 

Can you speak to a specific event that was really significant to you?

 

StepUP had a Thanksgiving dinner for everyone and I was part of organizing the event. Everyone was calling me and asking what I needed and asking what they could do to help. On the day itself, all I had to do was answer calls – everyone more than contributed and made it such a success. That’s just one example of the community here at StepUP. I mean, I live with all these people in recovery that are always going to meetings, talking about spirituality, acknowledging our character defects, and working a good program. If I’m ever struggling, there’s always someone to pull me out of it. Everyone pitches in.

 

I also remember giving a prospective, first-generation student a tour last year and as he looked around he just didn’t seem to get it. He asked me how all of this was possible, saying he felt like he was in a foreign land. He told me,  “I’m not supposed to be here … I don’t deserve this.” Surprisingly, a lot of StepUP students think like that. But we do deserve to be here. We get to be in this amazing place.

 

What attracted you to StepUP?

 

I simply heard that there was a large collegiate recovery program here. That was enough for me! I was instantly in the, “alright, here we go” mode. I applied as quickly as possible. At the time, that’s kind of what kept me sober – the idea that if I stayed sober, I could go back to school. That was my motivation throughout my first year at Augsburg.

 

What has StepUP given you?

 

It gave me hope and helped me stay sober. Even after I got sober I was depressed and I felt like I had nothing to live for. StepUP gave me the hope that I can do stuff with my life. You can get an education and walk away with a degree.

 

I didn’t think I was ever going to go back in school. I didn’t expect to have a job where my fellow staff enjoys my company, or teachers that give me good recommendations. Most of all, I didn’t expect to have the friends that I do. There’s so much that I never thought that I would have.

 

Thank you, Blake!

 

 

 

Tell us about yourself.

 

My name is Bob L. I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’m 22 years old and a Junior at Augsburg College. I’m majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. I’m a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, Residence Life Advisory Board, StepUP Leadership Team, Programming Team, and the Mathematical Association of America.

 

Why computer science and mathematics?

 

I’ve known since I took my first HTML class that I wanted to study computer science – and that was in sophomore year of High School. I wanted to know how computers worked. Adding the Mathematics major was a bit of an afterthought. I have always been good at math and realized I didn’t want to stop taking math classes, plus I thought the dual degree would make me more marketable. I would like to attend graduate school after I get my bachelors degree. I’ve also thought about pursuing data security or computerized stock trading.

 

Who’s your favorite artist and why?

 

Eminem. His journey from being very poor and having a difficult childhood to being extremely successful is inspiring to me. I can also relate to his struggle with addiction. He is someone I really look up to – he takes his sobriety seriously and because of that he’s able to be a good father.

 

What has been a challenge for you in the last year?

 

I have been at StepUP for almost a year now. I think my biggest struggle has been getting out of my shell and meeting people, especially since I didn’t know a single person when I first moved in. My introverted personality made it difficult in the beginning, but it’s something that has gotten a lot better since. I’m still working on self-improving – getting involved with activities around StepUP, such as leadership team and service opportunities that StepUP offers have been very helpful in overcoming my shyness!

 

What’s your favorite thing about Augsburg College as a whole? 

 

My favorite thing about Augsburg is the small class sizes, the opportunities to get involved in the departments and how easy it is to get to know your professors. I know almost all of the math and computer science professors. I’m very involved in both of the departments because it is so easy to make these amazing connections.  

 

What’s your favorite thing about StepUP?

 

My favorite thing about StepUP would definitely be the community. Everyone cares about everyone else and is always willing to help someone in need. When I am struggling, I know I can talk to pretty much anyone and they will be willing to listen and help in any way that they can. I’ve never seen a community like this – it’s very special. There are so many young people that are doing great things with their lives. It’s truly inspiring.

 

What new discoveries have you made about yourself since you got sober? 

 

I’ve always been very introverted and it’s only because of StepUP I’ve really discovered the importance of relationships in recovery. I need other people in my life if I am going to stay sober and thanks to this program, I’m surrounded by other people in the same boat as me.

I’ve also discovered what I am capable of when I put the amount of energy into school that I used to use to chase that next high. Being successful in school has really boosted my self-esteem and helped me to set goals that I never thought were a remote possibility.

 

Any tips for success in the StepUP community?

 

I have so many tips! Take advantage of all the opportunities available to you through StepUP and the college. When someone asks you to do something, say yes. Get involved with things outside of StepUP. Join student organizations. Find something you are passionate about. Find meetings you like going to, attend them every week, and invite your friends. Go to fellowship after.

This is a big one: go to class!

It’s hard to succeed when you don’t go to class. Above all, have fun in sobriety!

 

 

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Michael S. I am a first-semester Junior and I am an English major. My hometown is Chicago, IL.

 

What brought you to Augsburg?

StepUP brought me to Augsburg. I was in a halfway house at the time – I spent 8 months there. When I was there, everyone was encouraging me to go to college. Before I went to treatment, I was trying to be a musician. I was staying with a band that I played with, and it ended up not working out. As much as I wanted to do that again, I realized it was a horrible idea.

Colleges have a reputation for partying, so I thought that college would be just as bad of an environment as hanging out with the non-sober musician crowd. A staff member told me about an alumni who really enjoyed StepUP and encouraged me to visit the campus. I knew the determining factor was going to be the community – how seriously the students actually take their sobriety. I visited and spent a day around StepUP students and it was immediately clear to me that everyone here was solid in their recovery. StepUP seemed like the place for me to be right off the bat – if I was going to be able to go to school, this is where I could do it.

 

What is the most valuable part of StepUP?

The most valuable thing is the opportunity. The opportunity is what you make it – you can go as far as you want to at StepUP. At the very least, it can just be a way to do school.  Some people come here and sort of go through the motions. They get their degree and leave. However, there are people who take it so much further than that – it’s whatever you want it to be. They realize what they can do and start believing in themselves. Because of the opportunity that StepUP has given them, they realize how much they’re capable of. These are the people who are getting grants and scholarships. They do amazing internships. They do awesome things and recognize that they are responsible for shaping their futures. These are the people who, once graduated, come back for events like the Gala and say, “this program changed my entire life.”  StepUP is whatever you make of it – and it can be as little or as big as you want it to be.

 

What does StepUP mean to you?

A lot of personal growth has happened here. More than anything, I’ve had an environment that teaches me how to show up for other people, at work and in life. It’s hard to figure that out in an environment that isn’t conducive to sobriety.

StepUP has given me a solid foundation that allows me to branch out and explore what interests me. It gives me a chance to actually think about what I want to do – where I want to go. If it weren’t for StepUP, I wouldn’t have had that foundation.

 

What do you want to do with your life?

This summer I went on a road trip with a bunch of people from the program. I met a lot of new people, but the truck drivers we met really stood out to me. They seemed really happy in a simple, down-to-earth way. I don’t think I’m one of those people who needs a grandiose lifestyle to feel good about myself. There are people out there who do ordinary things – and I think that would be fine for me.

 

What’s something that makes you get out of bed everyday?

I get up everyday because if I don’t people come find me. And they drag me out of bed by my ankles as I’m kicking and screaming, clawing desperately at the wooden frame of my bed. It’s happened. But honestly? I’m inspired by the people that I live with: my friends.

 

Is there anyone in the program who has positively influenced you?

There are a bunch of people here that I look up to a lot. I think Patrice is a big one – she’s the greatest. And she’s helped me so much. I remember last year, my roommate passed away. Patrice was amazing. She came out to New York, and stayed out there with us. She’s just the sweetest person. She’s takes on a lot. She’s one of those people who will never back down from a challenge – I don’t know how she does everything. I love her.

My counselor also inspires me – he gives me hope. He’s helped me believe that I can become something later in life which is nice. There are a lot of students in StepUP who I admire a lot. There are students who come in – they’re smart, but they didn’t do well in high school because they were using. They come here, find a major that they love and are totally sucked in. From what I’ve seen, addicts commit really hard when they find something they like doing. I have a friend who is already excelling in his field – he’s published papers, he’s been to a bunch of conferences, he’s met with people who are known in the field globally – just in a few years. He’s completely involved with his major. It’s allowed him to grow a lot. I admire that.

 

What advice would you give somebody just getting into this program?

Use everything that’s at your fingertips. Don’t shy away from any of it. StepUP is an entire community. That in itself is a valuable resource. You can take it for all that it’s worth, or you can go through the motions. Make friends!

 

Is there anything else you like to add about your experience that is important to you?

I feel like one of the luckiest people to have been able to be a part of StepUP. I don’t know anywhere else that I can meet such intelligent, supportive people – people I can talk to about anything, that understand what I’ve gone through. I think those in recovery have a unique sort of struggle. It speaks volumes to be in a place full of people who understand you and truly want to help. Everything is centered around a program that tells you, “if you want to keep what you have, you should lift up everyone around you.” I think that, even for someone who is unsure about what I want to be or do in my life, my time here has been so meaningful. I’ll always remember it.  

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Sara, and I’m currently in my Junior year. I’m originally from Colombia, South America where I lived for 6 years. I’ve also been sober for over 5 years. I went to [a sober High School], and from there, I entered Augsburg. I am involved heavily in the science community here at the college, and once I graduate I aim to be an aerospace engineer.

 

Why aerospace engineering?

I’m really interested in exploring and sending technology into space. Since I understand science pretty well, my family wanted me to go into the most challenging engineering track I could find. Through learning more about aerospace engineering, I’ve become more passionate about it. Things that are unknown and undiscovered bother me – I have to find out the answer!

I’ll be here for another year and a half, and after that I want to go to U of MN for a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering. After that, I would like to work for Boeing or SpaceX. Potentially NASA. Some of the papers I work on now actually end up going to NASA and being used in their reports, which is really cool.

 

What has been the biggest influence on your field of study?

My advisor. She went to Harvard, Cambridge, and was an electrical engineer for IBM. She really helped me understand my steps to the career path I want. Her guidance is more than just career-based, and she’s helping me figure out my life. It’s cool to see a woman excel so well in a field that’s considered a ‘man’s world’. Even in my STEM classes, it’s a “man’s world” – I’m one of two women in all my classes, and the only minority woman in all my classes. Seeing another woman succeed is inspiring, and it pushes me forward.

 

What attracted you to StepUP?

I came to Augsburg specifically for StepUP. Getting sober at such a young age, I felt like the appeal of college culture would have gotten to me if I wasn’t surrounded by a community that’s trying to retain the same thing.

What really attracted me to StepUP was seeing how the community interacted with one another – it was like watching a big family. There’s so much support in the program. We’re all here to pull each other up when we can’t pull ourselves up. StepUP feels like a home to me.

 

What is the most valuable part of StepUP for you?

The community and the staff.  Each and everyone one of us can go into the office at our worst and most frustrating moments and the staff still loves us so much. Unconditionally. Tim has saved my life, hands down. If it wasn’t for the staff and the community, I don’t think I’d be alive. StepUP saved my life.

Our community is another huge support – the biggest support. [The community] is why I’m here. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t be sober, honestly. Being able to see a lot of the people that I entered the program with succeed is an inspiration, and it motivates me to keep working.

 

What would you tell someone just entering the program?

StepUP is not a reason to stay sober – it is a resource. I think the point of recovery isn’t just to remain sober – it’s to better yourself, and become a person that you actually want to be. StepUP should help you find the tools you need to keep on improving and being sober – even after graduation. Keep pushing yourself!

You are here to graduate, and you need to make sure that school is a priority. Keep the focus on your end goal – sometimes it’s really hard to keep motivated, really hard to keep pushing forward, but your end goal is important. You will make amazing friends here. They can support you through your recovery and your academics. Every single person in the building will be there for you.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to say about the community?

People take StepUP for granted when they’re here – I know I did at first. In the beginning, it can feel like your priority is making friends and meeting new people, but eventually that goes away and you are left with a new family and, most importantly, a chance to finish college. At the end of the day, I’ve never felt more at home, and every time I see friends who have left, they tell me how much they miss it. It’s such a unique place. StepUP is my family, and StepUP is my home.

 

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Devin W., and I’m from Oakdale, Minnesota. I’m going into the first semester of my Senior year as a sociology major, and I’m minoring in Religion and Urban Studies. I’ve been in the StepUP Program for the entirety of my college career.

 

What brought you to Augsburg?

I came to Augsburg because of StepUP. I come from a family where my mom only has a two-year degree. [College] seemed like a fantasy, not a reality. In high school, I was a really good student, but I just squandered away all my opportunities because of what I was doing with my life. Going to college is something I always wanted to do growing up, but due to the choices I made in high school it became a too far distant reality. I didn’t know if it was possible.

We had a student panel from StepUP come into my sober high school – a group of current students who were talking about their experience. They spoke about community and friendships, but the thing that really attracted me was how they said college was doable. The way they spoke about college told me “you can do it, it isn’t this impossible thing.” I think in high school, so many kids hear a narrative about how difficult college is – when really college is very, very accessible and very doable. You have to work hard but you can do it. I ended up applying and the next winter I was accepted here.

 

Now that you’re at Augsburg, how do you spend your time?

For fun, I like to get out and bicycle a lot – even when it gets cold out. One of my favorite hobbies – love it. I’m also doing research for my co-authored thesis in Sociology, so I can graduate with departmental honors. We’re studying how different generations become involved in what we’ve labelled as high-risk activism, which is protest, demonstrations, canvassing, boycotts, and the like. We’re studying how and if there’s a difference between baby boomers, gen-Xers, and millennials, and what mobilizes these different generations to become involved in these activities. I’ve done a lot of research papers on my own through various grants like the one I had last summer through URGO(Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity), but this has been a really cool experience thus far.

I’m also working in the library at the circulation desk which is a relaxed position that I can work on my schoolwork. In addition to those responsibilities, I’m also a student instructor for an introduction to sociology class.

 

What is being a student instructor like?

 I sit in class, take good notes for the students, and sometimes I’ll lead an activity. Twice a week, I do instruction sessions – study groups outside of class time. Then I’ll set up individual appointments with a person who may need help in the class or with a paper. I’m like a second instructor – a peer instructor – someone students can go to that isn’t as intimidating as a professor is. It’s my favorite thing I’m doing right now.

 

What do you plan to do post-graduation?

With my student instructor positions, I’ve had two opportunities to do some teaching. I’m finding that I really like helping the students understand the material, especially material that I find so fascinating. I like to bring that energy to them, because I think a lot of times students don’t necessarily like what they’re learning when the professor doesn’t seem excited to be teaching it.

I’m figuring out right now if teaching is something I want to do, as I can very well see myself being a professor at a university or a college. I know definitely that I love the research aspect of sociology – I love having that knowledge, and the academic writing and reading – all of those dorky things I was too ashamed to admit that I liked before I came here. For right now I definitely want to go into research, but I can see myself being a professor as well.

 

What is the most valuable part of StepUP to you?

Right now, I’m looking to graduate school for a Ph.D. in Sociology for Research. That is something that I never would have thought in a million years I would have done four years ago. Never. If you would have told me four years ago that my future self wants to go for a Ph.D. in Sociology … first, I would have asked you what Sociology is, then I probably would have laughed in your face, because that just would have seemed way too crazy. That’s what I want to do with my life now.

What I think StepUP has done is provided a context for me to realize that goal, and now materialize it. I have a really good rapport with all my professors. I’ve established a really good GPA. I have accomplished a lot of these really interesting research opportunities that never would have happened if I wasn’t in a place where all of my friends are going through the exact same thing I’m going through.

It’s not only my peers that are encouraging, but the staff as well. I’ve established a really good relationship with Patrice – she has been really fundamental in helping me realize, and now materialize my potential.

 

What advice would you give someone who is new to StepUP?

For those just coming into the program, I would highly encourage them to make friends and build a foundation here. However, what I’ve noticed from my success is that this community has provided a context that I can rely upon. I can go out and try new things and meet people that don’t come from the same background that I come from.

I think that StepUP is the one time in your life that you have that intentional grounding specifically so that you can go out and try things that you probably wouldn’t try if you didn’t have that feeling of safety. Part of being successful here is taking a chance to befriend people that aren’t in recovery. For the rest of your life you are going to meet people who are primarily not in recovery, so this is the perfect place to learn those social skills and how to navigate those relationships and conversations. Branch out – it’s not too scary!