Two Hope for Addiction Education Scholarships Awarded to Students by Recovery Centers of America
KING OF PRUSSIA: Recovery Centers of America ("RCA") today announced that two deserving students from diverse backgrounds have each been awarded a $1000 college scholarship for students recovering from addiction or affected by the addiction epidemic and who are pursuing a degree that will assist individuals and families struggling with addiction. Nearly 150 eligible students from all over the country applied for this year's prestigious Recovery Centers of America Hope for Addiction Scholarships.
The 2020-2021 RCA Hope for Addiction Scholarship winner is Danielle Caldwell, from Hillsboro, Oregon. Danielle attends Purdue Global University and is majoring in AmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmerica with a focus on Addiction Studies. She is also taking classes to obtain licensure as a certified drug and alcohol counselor and hopes to earn a doctorate degree in clinical psychology when she enters graduate school.
Danielle battled addiction for decades and is now over five years into her recovery. In her essay, she compared addiction to the true story of a tiger named Mohini that lived in thecccc D.C. Zoo and paced all day long in his 12x 12 cage. Even when given an enlarged, improved habitat, Mohini continued his 12 x 12 pacing pattern for the rest of his life. "The allegory of Mohini the White Tiger resonates with me as the demonstration of a life in active addiction. Like Mohini, the endless pacing, or seeking of a substance becomes a conditioned behavior for the addict. And like Mohini, the addict, when faced with freedom, will continue to pace the small space that confines them. The addict will continue to subconsciously imprison themselves until they are physically imprisoned, institutionalized or, sadly, until their death. Their deaths are made sadder still because freedom was always a choice. But the urge to stay confined to the pain they knew, or the cage, is greater."
