Only 3% of college students are people recovering from addiction, according to Engage Wellness Now. John Smith, someone recovering from addiction, is one of the 3%. He returned to college, after becoming a substance abuse counselor, hoping to better assist his career and to go further in his studies. He said college felt isolating as someone recovering from addiction and as a college student. After discovering The Next Step, an organization based in Kirkwood that provides scholarships to individuals recovering from addiction, Smith said he found inspiration and support for his educational plans.
“The Next Step allowed me to see other people in recovery working toward their academic goals as well,” Smith said. “It can feel very isolating being in recovery and in college [at the same time], so I was inspired by all the other recipients trying to do the same thing I was, and The Next Step was supporting us all in our individual goals.”
The Next Step is credited with helping hundreds of students gain admission to college or trade schools. Since receiving his scholarship, Smith has earned his MD and completed training in psychiatry.
“I will forever be grateful for The Next Step supporting me in my educational journey,” Smith said. “Education opens so many doors for people in recovery to do things we never thought we’d have a chance to do.”
Darcy Glidewell, the executive director of The Next Step, has been working for the organization since 2011. She said more people are learning about the program and getting involved. She said there’s been a large influx of students over the years, so many that there sometimes isn’t enough room.
“We had our new student orientation at the county library this year because we had 51 new students,” Glidewell said. “We do not have space in our office to have that many students.”
Glidewell said The Next Step was founded in 2005, before she joined, by a group of friends who had been in recovery from substance use disorders themselves. She said they frequently met at First Watch and befriended a waitress there who had also gotten sober and aspired to attend college.
“She wanted to go back to school, [but] didn’t have the funds, so they all threw in some money to help her go to St. Louis Community College,” Glidewell said. “And they thought, ‘Wow, if she’s in this situation, I wonder how many [other] people are [too].’”
Glidewell said they got together at one of their kitchen tables and developed the concept of The Next Step. The first year, it was just the server, and by the next, they had three scholarship recipients, gaining more participants each year from there. Glidewell said the students are positively impacted by the organization’s efforts, and many of them want to give back by volunteering for events and other positions or offering private donations. Christy Ivory, a board member and alumnus, earned her associate’s degree at St. Louis Community College and, with the support of The Next Step, earned her BSW (Bachelor’s in Social Work) in 2020 and an MSW (Master’s in Social Work) in 2022. She is currently working towards becoming a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), and said that she was able to find her calling thanks to the resources the program gave her.
“The Next Step inspired me to continue serving my community,” Ivory said. “I enjoy helping students pursue a career in behavioral health and connect with resources like the Next Step. They helped me find my niche.”
Ivory said The Next Step changed her life by helping her pursue her goals. She said before learning about the scholarship fund, she was debating if she should take out the loans to get her master’s degree.
“I knew I would need at least $90,000 to obtain both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in social work,” Ivory said. “I was considering just getting a bachelor’s because of the cost. However, I knew I needed both to become a licensed clinical social worker. My career choices would have been limited without both degrees.”
Glidewell said many of the recipients of their scholarships go on to pursue helping professions, as Ivory and Smith did. She said that of the students coming into The Next Step this school year, half are going into occupations such as nursing, social work, counseling, addiction studies and speech therapy.
“The Next Step makes St. Louis a better place,” Glidewell said. “We have funded 139 students this year and [gave] $500,000 [in scholarship money]. It’s really beautiful because a lot of our students who are involved in service work, are able to give back once they get their degree.”
