09/21/2026
💙 RECOVERY MONTH PEER SPOTLIGHT: AUSTIN 💙
In honor of Recovery Month, we’re continuing to highlight the voices, experiences, and hope of people in recovery and the peers who walk alongside others every day.
“My name is Austin, and I’m a person in long-term recovery.
My journey hasn’t always been easy, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but recovery has given me something I never thought I would have again: a life with purpose.
Today, I have the opportunity to work for ASCENT Recovery at The ROCC and be there for people who are navigating their own recovery journey. One of the most meaningful parts of what I do is being able to meet someone where they are, listen without judgment, and hopefully give them a little bit of the hope that other people gave me when I needed it.
For me, recovery is about much more than simply not using. It’s about learning how to live life differently. It’s about showing up, keeping my word, taking responsibility for my choices, rebuilding relationships, setting goals, and continuing to become the person I want to be.
Recovery has also taught me that my past doesn’t have to define my future. Some of the things I once saw as nothing but failures have become experiences that allow me to understand and connect with people in a way I may not have been able to otherwise.
What I’m probably most grateful for is the opportunity to help someone else see that their story isn’t over and doesn’t have to stay the way it is. I know what it feels like to wonder if things can ever really be different. Today, I get to tell people from personal experience that they can do it and that change is possible.
If I could tell someone on day one one thing, it would be this:
‘You don’t have to fix your whole life today. Just take the next right step, which starts right now, in this moment. Keep showing up, even when you don’t feel like it, and give yourself the chance to discover who you can become.’
Today, I can be proud of where I’ve been, but I’m even more excited about where recovery is still taking me.”
We’re grateful to have Austin as part of the ASCENT Recovery and ROCC team and for the hope, understanding, and lived experience he brings to the people we serve. 💙
