This essay is from one of our scholarship applicants (and winners) this year. In order to promote participation in the prevention of drugs and alcohol and encourage civic involvement, the Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy is excited to offer $1000 scholarships to qualified candidates from high school seniors within Franklin County.

Naomi Judd, American country music singer and actress, once said, “ Experience gives us the tests first and the lessons later.” I have had a lot of experience in my life with drug and/or alcohol abuse, which I believe have helped and shaped me into the person I am today.  Even though it is a part of my history that is hard  to recount, I am really glad that I was able to experience and learn from this event in my life. 

I have had to face a lot of challenges when it comes to drug and/or alcohol abuse, one of them being put into the foster care system. When I was in the third grade, my younger sister and I were taken from our biological parents home, and placed into foster care. At an early age I had to move schools, and was therefore forced to make new friends. I had to learn to trust and love again, as well as how to start completely over.  Because I was so young I didn’t really have a clear concept of what foster care was, I just knew that I was taken away from my biological parents, and placed with who were essentially strangers, but are now my parents. In that tough time in my life, I had no idea that in the future I would be in the place that I am now, with the loving parents I have, and the many life lessons that have been learned along the way. 

The path to overcoming the many challenges I faced was not easy but with the love and support of my family I was able to persevere. My parents were a big part in helping me to overcome. They gave me coping skills, were there when I needed to talk, were there to answer any questions I had and so much more. I am not a person who likes to talk about my feelings, so it took a long time for me to feel comfortable enough for me to talk about how drug and/or alcohol abuse affected me. One of the ways my parents taught me to cope was with journaling, when I had feelings that I didn’t want to share, I was able to write it down in my journal, and then when I was ready talk about it. Without my parents’ help, I wouldn’t be as comfortable talking about my experience today. 

I will use my life experience to positively impact my life and others by being an example, that when life gets tough, if you persevere things will get better, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. I want to be a role model for other boys and girls who have and/or experiencing foster care, to keep going when the going gets tough, trust those who are there to help, and find people who are on your side so the process doesn’t feel so lonely. I am incredibly thankful that I had to experience drug and/or alcohol abuse, because it taught me some of the greatest lessons in life, like Naomi Judd said, drug and/or alcohol abuse tested me first and taught me last, the lesson being that all things happen for a reason. God had a plan for me and I just had to wait to see it all play out.