As a child, Ashley moved around frequently. She was told that many of her high school credits would not transfer when she came to WV and instead of being a junior in high school, she would have to start as a freshman. This devastated her to the point that she dropped out of school with plans to get her GED on her own.
Unfortunately, during that time she started experimenting with drugs and alcohol. “That time away from school is when I started dabbling in drugs and alcohol.” Ashley says. “Things just went downhill from there. After spending 14 months in prison, I was told I qualified for rehabilitation.”
Ashley came to Union Mission with a desire to get sober and to get her GED. “I tried to get clean several times on my own,” she says, “but I just couldn’t do it. I needed help. I had to learn how to live differently but I knew someone else had to show me how to do it because I was not doing it right. I love this program. It has changed my entire life.”
“Ashley really hit the ground running when she came to the program,” says Denise Kennedy, Vocational Advancement Coordinator for Union Mission. “She was anxious to start working immediately on her GED. We explained that time would come but first she needed to focus on settling in and getting adjusted to the program.”
In June of this year, Ashley started attending classes as much as 3 times a week at Kanawha County Adult Education (formerly Garnet) to work on her GED.
“Once Ashley started classes, she really buckled down to study. She would study in the dorms or at times, in my office when she needed extra privacy,” Denise says.”She completed 3 years of high school education in a little over 2 months! Each time I would take her for the testing segments, we would say a little prayer before getting out of the car.”
Ashley sees this educational achievement as just the beginning. She currently is employed at a local hospital in an entry level position but is excited to see the doors already opening up for her now that she has her GED.
“I am so excited with how things are going,” Ashley says. “Union Mission not only helped me on my addiction recovery journey, but their Vocational Advancement services allowed me to get my GED and get a job. I will finish the recovery program in February and my plan is to live locally. I will be getting custody of my two boys back and my family has been so supportive now that we have reconciled.”
Ashley’s story just underscores how important the Union Mission Addiction Recovery Program AND Vocational Advancement Program are when it comes to helping men and women not only overcome addiction but start rebuilding their lives with education, job training, and life skills.
If you would like to know more about our Vocational Advancement Program, call Union Mission to speak with either Kathy McFarland or Denise Kennedy. Your donations and volunteering help keep these programs running and allow us to write more stories like Ashley’s!
