-Blake Halvorson
Most of StepUP’s students are new arrivals to Augsburg before entering into StepUP, but not for Ricky (pictured on the right). Ricky joined the StepUP program this spring, and had already been enrolled and living at Augsburg in the beginning of his recovery. He lived with other users and was surrounded by abusive substances. It took him almost relapsing to realize he needed a change in environment. Realizing this, he enrolled in the StepUP program, and was accepted. He moved into Oren Gateway center before the 2014 Fall semester had even finished.
Since becoming a part of StepUP he is happier with life. He feels much more included within the StepUP community than he ever did before on campus. No matter the time of day sober fun surrounds him. He said “The StepUP program gives me the community I wanted and needed to succeed in life.” Ricky is very involved in the art programs on campus and is a great addition to the StepUP community bringing a unique perspective to the program.