Jamie
I
left school in the 8th grade. Twenty years later in 1996 I received my G.E.D.
I’ve always worked at low paying, back breaking, and unfulfilling jobs. I have
two older brothers, Steven and Tommy, and one younger brother, Ray. All of them
went to college. I knew I needed to do something, but I didn’t know I would end
up at Onward.
Let me start by saying that I’m a
recovering alcoholic/addict. In 1998-2000 I was sent to Framingham MA
Women’s prison, due to my substance abuse. After I was released, I went
and found another unfulfilling job. Some friends of mine told me about
the Onward Program. So I thought I might as well give this a try.
Anything would be better than the job I had.
Since I came to Onward, the staff has
built on any skills that I had. I really struggled when I took the
placement test. In fact, I failed the first time. However, Onward was
willing to let me take the test over. I did and obviously I improved
because Jerry Ellis suggested going to the TLC in Bangor to improve my
skills.
My first year at Onward I received the
Donald Taverner Scholarship. My plans are to finish my four-year
commitment that I made when I started Onward. The goal is to earn my
B.S.W. and move on with my new career. It will certainly put me in the
right direction to have a career/job that I enjoy working at. I know my
family is quite proud that I found the courage to change a bad situation
and make it better.
