When asked what life was like before coming to Saint John’s, Brittany doesn’t hesitate to say, “I was addicted and co-dependent in New York City.” She grew up in Sacramento and received a scholarship to the New York School of Film and Television, with her heart set on acting. After graduating, she needed a job to pay for her lifestyle, one with the flexibility to accommodate auditions. Her job in the restaurant industry led her from casual drug use to a full blown addiction. In 2017 she came back to Sacramento and entered the first of several rehab experiences. It was during this time that she was referred to Saint John’s and in August of 2020, Brittany walked through the red doors of Saint John’s Program for Real Change ready to find her purpose.
I asked her why she thought now was the time to really embrace sobriety and she responded,” I now possessed emotional sobriety and it was time to take a chance on a different kind of change.” As she’s worked through the program, first with continued sobriety and then our Employment Training, her biggest challenge has been accepting the other residents for where they are now, learning to be kind and considerate in her interactions. She shared that she has also struggled with facing responsibilities, in other words, “learning to be an adult is overwhelming sometimes!” She credits the Saint John’s staff as being the most helpful while she’s navigated her way, calling them her “rock.”
Brittany is looking forward to completing our program, going back to school and finding a career that gives her purpose, not just a job. Her passion is childhood development and is looking at options that would lead her to that career, allowing her to finally give back. In the meantime, she has recently been hired as a Teacher’s Assistant for River City Learning Center. One more step forward in her journey to finding that purpose!
By Karen Edwards, Community Engagement Manager, Saint John’s Program for Real Change
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