Stephanie says she was a rebellious teen when living with her mom in California.  She got pregnant as a young teen. She did not tell her mom she was pregnant because her mom was a single mom and her dad was on drugs but Stephanie’s mother found out when she was six months pregnant. Her mother wanted her to have an abortion but Stephanie was determined to keep her child.  She did not care what anyone said, she had always wanted a baby. There were other girls pregnant at the same time she was, but she was the youngest. Her son’s dad was sent to a maximum security prison for stabbing someone when her son was just a year old. He got out of prison when her son was 9 but they never developed a relationship.  Stephanie’s mom primarily raised her son while Stephanie went through her teen years. Stephanie’s mom always emphasized education and Stephanie had a 4.0 GPA going into her senior year of high school.  But she didn’t graduate. She had gotten in with the wrong crowd and into drinking. The school gave her a choice of going to summer school or taking the GED. She took the GED and passed. She went to college taking one class at a time using financial aid. Sometimes she passed her classes and sometimes she didn’t.  She was still drinking every day and was at was at the bottom. She and her son still lived with Stephanie’s mother. Her son would hide her beer after she fell asleep so that Stephanie’s mother would not get angry with her. Stephanie’s mother eventually convinced her to get away from everything by moving with her son to Scottsboro, Alabama to live with Stephanie’s aunt and uncle. She worked at a nail salon managed by her aunt and uncle while taking classes at J.F. Drake State.   She and her son later moved nearby to an apartment. Stephanie did not want her son to think of her as a drunk, so she worked on curbing her drinking. Stephanie had always wanted to be a nurse (since 7^th grade) and her uncle told her about the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program at J.F. Drake State and the Registered Nursing program at Northeast Alabama Community College. Stephanie enrolled in the LPN program at J.F. Drake State. It was difficult and she had to study more than ever before. She graduated in May 2015 and passed her state board exam in July 2015.  Stephanie then accepted an LPN position at South Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in July 2015 which provides her good pay and benefits including tuition assistance which she will use to further her nursing education.  AOD is funding her to take the 9-week Financial Peace University class which includes budgeting and other personal finance topics. In September, she intends to apply to the Registered Nursing program at Northeast Alabama Community College. Stephanie is also extremely proud of her son. He just graduated from high school with a 3.9 GPA and was accepted to University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). Her son received an academic scholarship and will study pre-med or chemical engineering.  Stephanie believes her future is bright.  She believes when you are around good people, you want to do better and that when you expand your network, you build a better future.