Change to Learn, Learn to Change

Change to Learn, Learn to Change

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I want to share a personal story about how I changed my life by learning and then learned to change. Coming from a difficult background with a lack of education, I struggled with maintaining stability in my life. This led to substance abuse, homelessness, and feeling stuck at the bottom with no way up. But I realized that the key to transforming my life was through learning.

At 27, I was trapped in a cycle of addiction and yearned for a way out. I lacked the necessary education to hold down a job and achieve stability. But I was determined to change. So, I took the initiative to teach myself American Sign Language (ASL). I vividly remember holding onto drugs in one hand and an old ASL book in the other. As I delved deeper into learning ASL, I felt a growing desire to apply my new skills. Long story short, I enrolled in the East Boulder Baptist Church ASL Interpreting Program for free.

While I was eager to learn, the challenges in my life, especially the grip of addiction, continued to hold me back. I knew that in order to truly learn and grow, I needed to change my behaviors. Not only did I not want to risk being kicked out of the program or be judged by influential people, but I also understood that without changing my habits, I would never truly learn and progress.

In October 2024, it will mark 7 years since I gained my freedom. I made a firm decision to improve myself, and looking back over these 7 years, I am proud of my progress. I have earned two Associates degrees and a Bachelor's degree, and I am currently working towards my Master's. Through my experiences, I have realized that continuous learning has the power to transform our behaviors positively. If I hadn't changed my behavior, I wouldn't have achieved all that I have today. I embraced change in order to learn, and I learned in order to change. Thank you for taking the time to read this.