Moses Lake man thankful for education
Moses Lake man thankful for education
Ex-prisoner, former addict aspires to be drug counselor
MOSES LAKE — Stephen Daniels is no ordinary student at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake.
For 22 years Daniels, 39, was addicted to methamphetamine. Now nearly three years clean and two years out of jail, Daniels is graduating in December with an associates degree in applied science. He credits his younger brother with introducing him to the maintenance mechanics technology program.
"It's kept my sanity, it's kept me motivated," Daniels said. "It's kept me close to my family. It's done a number of things in my life, but most of all, it's kept me clean."
Daniels started using meth at 17 years old. When he was 9 years old, he first started smoking marijuana. When he was 13, he started selling it. He is a former alcoholic.
Daniels spent 1995 to 1998 in prison for distribution of meth. He spent 2000 to 2003 in prison again for manufacturing the drug. He was granted work release in Spokane in 2003. The people he associated himself with and the people gravitating toward him were drug users and he knew they could get him into trouble.
"I kept telling myself, you can't be around these people," he said.
In 2004, he started using the drug again, and he was caught. He spent nearly eight more months in jail for probation violation. When he got out again, he had a moment that would change the course of his life.
"I used twice and I felt myself slipping back to what I came out of," he said.
Daniels called his family in Moses Lake and told them to come get him.
Before going to prison for meth, Daniels was an alcoholic. He stopped drinking in 1991 after he and his older brother got in a car accident while driving drunk. He spent 28 days at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, and seven of the days were spent in a coma. He said he died three times, the longest being for 3 minutes, 22 seconds.
"I guess I'm here for a reason," he said.
Now he can't stand the smell of alcohol.
Daniels celebrates three years of sobriety from meth on Dec. 10, just a day after he receives his degree. His brother is a graduate of the same program he is graduating from. He is inspired to pursue a four-year degree to become a drug counselor for the youth.
"Most of your drug counselors have never done drugs," he said. "So they don't know what that road's like."
He is nervous about entering the working world after being out of it for so long, but he said he is excited too. He no longer associates with the same people.
Steve Matern, one of Daniels' instructors, said when Daniels needs to learn something, he spends the extra time to do it. He is impressed with his dedication, he said.
Daniels said he plans to walk with other students at the ceremony in June.
"This is going to be a big highlight of my life," he said.
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