http://www.kxro.com/ghc-student-history-addiction-nominated-transforming-lives-awards/
A 31 year old Grays Harbor College student was honored as a nominee, along with 33 other community and technical college students across the state, in the 2018 Transforming Lives awards.
“Each of these students have incredible stories to tell. They speak to the power of our state’s community and technical colleges,” said Bridget Piper, ACT president and a trustee for the Community Colleges of Spokane. “We are so proud of the students honored tonight as well as every student and alumni of our colleges.”
Amanda Deubert was included in nominations for the awards, recognizing current students and alumni who overcame barriers to their academic goals, from the Washington State Association of College Trustees this weekIn her biography from the awards, Amanda said that she was facing an uphill battle her whole life.
“My family has been immersed in generational addiction which affected both my parents.”
She says that her life mirrored her parents, and she began to use drugs heavily
“I went from being a child making bad decisions, to a young woman who had witnessed a murder and was facing 20 years in prison.”
Amanda says that after time within jail and treatment facilities, she was able to turn her life around, enrolling at Grays Harbor College as a Human Services student with an emphasis in a Chemical Dependency.
“If I could offer only one piece of advice for others it would be to not let your own perceptions and doubts limit your greatness. You can be and do anything you believe you can.”
She says that both of her parents are in recovery and they are all “attempting to heal as a family”.Each award winner was nominated by the board of trustees at their college.Other Transforming Lives award winners are:
- Josh Daley, Olympic College
- Tracy Fejeran, Spokane Falls Community College
- Omar Osman, Seattle Central College
- Vanessa Primer, Highline College
- Theresa, Edmonds Community College
- Autumn Arnestad, Bates Technical College
- Victor Ramirez, Bellevue College
- Amanda Pennell, Bellingham Technical College
- MaKinZee Rhodes, Big Bend Community College
- LaShanata Sealy, Cascadia College
- Yuki Takayama, Centralia College
- Nicholas Freese, Clark College
- Michael Clarke, Clover Park Technical College
- Jeremy Burnham, Columbia Basin College
- Hajer Al-Faham, Everett Community College
- Amanda Deubert, Grays Harbor College
- Samira Shokati, Green River College
- Dylan Bell, Lake Washington Institute of Technology
- Clinton Howard, Lower Columbia College
- Jeffrey Haley, Peninsula College
- Max Staples, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
- Erica Myron, Pierce College Puyallup
- Carl Harris, Renton Technical College
- Jorge Lara Alvarado, North Seattle College
- Kaylin Clarke, South Seattle College
- Patricia Barnes, Seattle Vocational Institute
- Robin Oliver, Shoreline Community College
- Valerie McCormack, Skagit Valley College
- Sayda Kong, South Puget Sound Community College
- Rick Clark, Spokane Community College
- Rain Coley, Tacoma Community College
- Citaly Gutierrez-Fuentes, Walla Walla Community College
- Maria Martinez-Alonzo, Wenatchee Valley College
- Nagla Mohamed-Lamin, Whatcom Community College
- Amanda Murphy, Yakima Valley College
Each award winner was nominated by the board of trustees at their college.Amanda Deubert
Grays Harbor College
My family has been immersed in generational addiction which affected both my parents.Education was never important in my house; survival was the word of the day. My sister and I were eventually removed from my mother’s care. After living in various foster homes, we moved in with our dad, but continued to be exposed to the trauma and violence our mother’s addiction generated.Upon entering high school I was determined not repeat the mistakes of my parents. Unfortunately, I met a bad boy, and all those behaviors resolved not to repeat seemed genetically and environmentally wired. I deteriorated, until the day I saw the disappointment in my father’s eyes. I became galvanized, unenrolled from traditional high school and enrolled in alternative high school and graduated with honors.Soon after graduation I began to use regularly. It went terribly bad, horribly fast. I went from being a child making bad decisions, to a young woman who had witnessed a murder and was facing 20 years in prison.Scared and alone, with only a public defender, I learned the law and received a plea bargain. I soon married, but still struggled with active addiction. I had a gorgeous little girl, and seeing life through her eyes changed me.My marriage turned violent, and I had to remove her from the home as I strove for safety and security for us both. I suffered from addiction, violence, homelessness and despair for another three years. In 2015, I went to jail again and found out I was pregnant. My attorney suggested for me to go to inpatient treatment and I reluctantly accepted. The decision the judge made that day allowed me the opportunity to start a new life. I received a ticket to the path of recovery, which is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. They say the only thing you have to change is everything, and believe me I have.As of September 6, 2017, I have two years clean from active addiction. I’ve graduated from multiple treatment services and several parenting classes. Recently, I started as an intern at the Community Action office in Aberdeen. My son is now a healthy 18-month-old and my daughter has been returned home after nearly three long years.I am enrolled as a second year Human Services student with an emphasis in a Chemical Dependency at Grays Harbor College, with a cumulative 3.83. GPA. After earning my associate’s degree, I intend to earn my bachelor’s degree. This year, I was elected the Community Liaison for the Human Services Community Connect Project.There isn’t any one person or program that has contributed to my success; it has been a community effort that has allowed me to achieve such potential. My parents are in recovery and we are attempting to heal as a family. My father has over 25 years clean and continues to amaze and inspire me.Furthering my education will be a great benefit to myself and my children, allowing me to support my family and lead by example that we are greater than our circumstances. This field calls to my heart, and I believe I can be a great asset with my life experiences. Drugs have plagued our nation, affecting nearly each and every home, with a great irreversible impact.If I could offer only one piece of advice for others it would be to not let your own perceptions and doubts limit your greatness. You can be and do anything you believe you can.
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