Tommy Chester and Andy Thomas [left to right] are both first-year students in Augsburg’s StepUP® Program. Both tried to go to college twice and failed miserably they say, and both were scared to go to treatment for their addiction. Today they’re using the second chance they’ve been given to help others, specifically by climbing to the summit of Mt. Rainier.

“One night we were talking about what we like, what’s important to us, and about the concept of vocation brought up in our religion class,” Chester says. They also talked about their own fears related to recovery and about how treatment programs, which can be very expensive, are difficult for many individuals and families.

While they were together at Gray Wolf Ranch in the Pacific Northwest, they started a project named Summit for Sobriety. Their project ultimately led them to the 4806 Foundation, an organization that provides funding to young people seeking recovery from substance abuse.

Thomas and Chester both enjoy the outdoors and have active lifestyles, but their hobbies and interests took a back seat to their addiction in the past. Thomas says, “When I was active in my addiction, I would walk across the city without shoes in a snowstorm to buy drugs.”

Now, he applies that same tenacity to his recovery and is willing to “go to any lengths” to maintain his sobriety. This summer, the young men will load up their gear and hike to the summit of Mt. Rainier, but their ultimate goal is to raise $25,000 to support the 4806 Foundation. They see this project as an opportunity to do something they enjoy while supporting an important cause.

In addition to raising money, Thomas and Chester want Summit for Sobriety to show young people that a life in recovery can be rewarding. “I didn’t know anything about recovery,” Chester says, “and I thought 12-step programs were for hardcore bums in the street.” He hopes the example of his life will show others that “fairly normal” people can recover from addiction and enjoy their lives without alcohol and drugs.

Both of the men say they don’t want this story or this project to be about them. “For us this is about helping people,” Thomas says. They know that an important part of staying sober is being of service to others. “We’re willing to take the leap so others know that the gift of recovery is possible.”

“This whole thing,” says Chester, “is about taking a big chance.”

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Since 1997, StepUP has helped students in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs learn similar lessons about themselves. To date, more than 400 students from across the nation have participated and have maintained an 85% abstinence rate while in the program. They are successful in sobriety and in the classroom, earning a collective 3.2 GPA at Augsburg.

To learn more about the StepUP Program at Augsburg College, go to the website or read “A Step in the Right Direction” from the Summer 2010 issue of the Augsburg NOW magazine.

Below one student shares what StepUP means to him.

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For me, this time of the year is one of reflection and gratitude. October 8th is the anniversary of my sobriety and, this year, it will mark three years of recovery from addiction. Where there was once pain and darkness, there is now joy and light. From this joy, I give my deepest thanks to Augsburg’s StepUP program.

StepUP is a group of counselors and students who are committed to the recovery of its residents. With the support of students’ respective 12-step programs, it has the power to change lives and the ability to support each of us through our daily challenges. Its importance lies in the fact that, while the average student may have his or her full attention to give to academics, the recovering student must balance a number of vital (that is, necessary to life) areas and activities. This is where StepUP steps in to help.

A year ago, as an entering freshman, I was cautious of beginning college. I was unsure that I could succeed academically and also continue to grow in my recovery. But, when I found the StepUP program, I became confident. StepUP has since then been an integral part of my college experience and a blessing in my recovery. Of the program’s many strengths, the fellowship is generally the most valued. We are a tight-knit community that will truly extend itself for the individual’s growth. It is a community that, at almost three years of sobriety, I feel very fortunate to be a part of.

-Jason M.

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