[ad_1]<\/p>\n
This story is jointly published by nonprofits<\/i> Amplify Utah<\/i><\/a> and The Salt Lake Tribune, in collaboration with<\/i> Salt Lake Community College<\/i><\/a>, to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.<\/i><\/p>\n Rachel Santizo spent nearly a decade living on the streets of Salt Lake City, finding safety from abuse and assault at night by sleeping in public spaces, often under parked cars. A drug addiction, triggered with prescribed pain pills which shifted to meth and heroin, had led her there.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to hit multiple rock bottoms,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter an almost 10-year battle, I became exhausted. I literally could not do it anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Last August, Santizo walked on the stage at the Maverik Center, earning her degree in criminal justice with a 3.92 GPA as one of Salt Lake Community College\u2019s 2021 Graduates of Excellence<\/a>.<\/p>\n Her path to graduation, though, came with numerous obstacles, including a decade of addiction and homelessness. Santizo remembers weighing her options back in 2012.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was treatment or suicide, and I didn\u2019t have the courage to commit suicide,\u201d she said. \u201cI was broken and defeated. I had lost everything I loved.\u201d<\/p>\n Santizo decided to seek treatment and detox through the Odyssey House<\/a> in 2012. In March, she will celebrate 10 years of sobriety.<\/p>\n Santizo, now 43 and living in South Jordan, said she went through a period of feeling judged for her history of substance abuse. \u201cAddiction is very complex and often feared or misunderstood,\u201d she said. \u201cI believe in the power of change. I have to. If not, I wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d<\/p>\n As she worked on understanding her addiction, Santizo said she realized she could use her experiences to help the community.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a unique view that can bridge gaps that may not otherwise be seen or heard \u2026 I want to help people and create change in my community,\u201d Santizo said. \u201cI speak the language and understand the behaviors, so criminal justice was the perfect fit for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The decision to enroll at SLCC, Santizo said, \u201cterrified\u201d her. She said she doubted her ability to succeed, but those feelings dissipated when she started her classes.<\/p>\n \u201cMy professors never made me feel less than,\u201d Santizo said. \u201cMy biggest struggle was writing papers. I was extremely intimidated. When I expressed any concerns I had, my teachers listened and walked beside me.\u201d<\/p>\n Santizo left a \u201clasting impression\u201d on her professors, who described her as an engaged learner, community leader and role model.<\/p>\n Adjunct professor Anna West \u2014 who teaches the Life, Drugs and Society course at SLCC \u2014 said she appreciated the candor and willingness with which Santizo disclosed her past to her classmates.<\/p>\n \u201cShe wrote a term paper that was so good, we published it in the Open Catalog of Student Work, and it\u2019s a sample for all students,\u201d West said. In the paper, Santizo compiled research about access to health care for those living with severe substance-use disorder. \u201cIt was one of the best papers I have seen at all levels of education,\u201d West said.<\/p>\n Assistant professor David Robles characterized Santizo as a distinguished student who made an immediate impression in his criminal justice course.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember the first day of class, hearing about her past experiences, and truly acknowledging the depth that Rachel was going to bring to the classroom,\u201d Robles said.<\/p>\n Robles said Santizo often led discussions with her peers and always contributed \u201cinsightful comments and questions, even when discussing difficult and controversial topics.\u201d<\/p>\n Santizo\u2019s impact on her professors extended beyond the classroom. When West got a chance to teach SLCC courses at the Utah State Prison, she sought advice from Santizo, who had taught and worked in several Utah prisons.<\/p>\n \u201cShe built my confidence and told me that I have everything I need to go into the prison, because all the students inside need is patience and kindness,\u201d West said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful that I could ask her, because I was nervous, and she put me at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n Robles echoed that sentiment. \u201cSince I practice a pedagogical approach \u2014 where both the student learns from the teacher and the teacher learns from the student \u2014 Rachel was a student who I learned plenty from,\u201d Robles said.<\/p>\n \u201cRachel exemplified excellence by completing her degree,\u201d Robles said. \u201cAlthough this accomplishment may seem simple to others, if you know about Rachel\u2019s life, this was a long and enduring process that challenged her in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n To Santizo, being named Graduate of Excellence was a \u201ccomplete honor and mind-blowing.\u201d During SLCC\u2019s commencement ceremony, Santizo walked before thousands of people in the Maverik Center carrying a banner representing the School of Applied Technology and Technical Specialities.<\/p>\n \u201cAt one point in my life, I wasn\u2019t sure if I would live to see another day,\u201d Santizo said, remembering the ceremony. \u201cI had never held my head so high. I looked up at my children and in that moment, I knew that all my hard work had paid off \u2014 that I was worthy of great things, that I am the woman I had been fighting to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Santizo has returned to Odyssey House, where she went for detox, to take a job as program manager of their residential program. \u201cIt is incredible to have the opportunity to give back what has been given to me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Santizo also co-hosts a weekly podcast<\/a>, with veteran Utah TV anchor Randall Carlisle, called \u201cOdyssey House Journals.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe speak about recovery and different stories pertaining to substance dependency and alcoholism,\u201d Santizo said. \u201cEvery week, I get to hear another story from a hero who had the courage to do something different in their life.\u201d<\/p>\n Santizo works Monday through Friday at the Odyssey House, and noted the importance of keeping a structured schedule. Weekends are reserved for writing letters and sending care packages to her son in the National Guard, sleepovers with her 2-year-old grandson, and doing recovery work at Fit to Recover<\/a>, where she helps teach a fitness boot camp.<\/p>\n \u201c[Boot camp] is soul food,\u201d she said of the free class, which focuses on offering support to those tackling mental health issues or seeking freedom from alcohol or substances. \u201cWe exercise, connect with each other in a non-judgmental way that allows us to come as we are and leave a little bit better each time, together.\u201d<\/p>\n Through adversity, Santizo said she has battled addiction and used her experiences and empathy to help others with similar experiences, but she realizes this is only possible with support from others.<\/p>\n \u201cI am 100% convinced that I cannot do sobriety on my own,\u201d she said. \u201cI need support around to encourage me during times I struggle. I need love when I am not at my best. I need to be OK with not being OK \u2014 simply stated, the acceptance of being a human being.\u201d<\/p>\n Santizo began her educational career convinced that graduating from SLCC was an unattainable goal. She has a message for those who feel the same way.<\/p>\n \u201cThe deeper your fear or story, the more you have to tell others after you conquer what is in front of you,\u201d Santizo said. \u201cFear is motivating if you allow it. Education is empowering. You get one life, so in order to fully grasp all there is to know, an education is critical. Everyone is deserving of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Amie Schaeffer<\/b><\/i> wrote this story as a journalism student at Salt Lake Community College. It is published as part of a new collaborative including nonprofits<\/i> Amplify Utah<\/i><\/a> and The Salt Lake Tribune.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\nEmbracing education<\/h2>\n
Graduation and beyond<\/h2>\n