When Chayce Sosa, 43, walked into the testing office at A-B Tech in February she was expecting to score low on her GED® program placement test. Having dropped out of school in seventh grade, Sosa had struggled with addiction for more than two decades and had been homeless for nearly half her life. Not having her high school diploma, she said, felt like one more hurdle between her and a decent job. To her surprise, Sosa aced the placement test that February day and was able to pass her GED® just a month later with 18 hours of classroom prep time.
Now, four months later, Sosa has constructed a new life for herself and will be one of the featuring guest speakers at her own High School Equivalency graduation on June 13. Her GED® instructors, she said, helped her hone in on her goal of becoming a substance abuse counselor. Sosa enrolled in A-B Tech’s two-year Human Services degree and is currently in her first semester. She was also able to get a local job as a behavioral health technician working with adolescents who have eating disorders.
Sosa’s dream is to one day work in the court system with people struggling with addiction. The state’s recovery court program provides counseling and treatment plans for people who may otherwise end up in prison. Having received these services herself, Sosa believes she has unique insights to offer as a counselor and teacher.
“It’s about second chances,” she said. “I want to work with addicts whose lives have spiraled out of control. And instead of sending them to prison, I want to help break the cycle. To teach them to live as responsible members of society.”