Reynolds pupil Clinton Dukes was inducted into PTK at the boundary ceremony on Feb 28, 2015. Initially he planned to skip the induction ceremony, simply his girl convinced him he needed to receive got the fourth dimension to celebrate his accomplishment. Afterwards, he was glad he did.
Success has non come upward slowly for Dukes. An entirely shaver of 2 alcoholic parents, he lost his woman raise at the historic current of 13. Living amongst an alcoholic father, trying to contend amongst the loss of his mother, he turned to alcohol as well as drugs to repose his pain. Without whatever existent back upward organisation he was easily swayed yesteryear his peers into making pitiful decisions.
He was expelled from Catholic High School because of drug use, simply eventually graduated from populace high school. After graduating he spent 2 years inwards the Marine Corps, simply was discharged over a marijuana possession charge. The kickoff fourth dimension he e'er saw pride inwards his father’s eyes was when he seat on his armed services uniform, as well as thence when his service was cutting curt he felt a deep feel of failure. Again he turned to familiar patterns to repose the pain, simply this fourth dimension the drug live escalated to fissure cocaine as well as Dukes ended upward homeless, as well as inwards as well as out of jail.
For the side yesteryear side eighteen years or as well as thence Duke’s life was a serial of ups as well as downs. For periods of fourth dimension he enjoyed roughly success, staying clean. At i betoken he entered the seminary, became an associate government minister of a church building inwards Southside Richmond, got married, as well as worked a full-time job. It took a peculiarly bad declaration amongst his married adult woman for everything to autumn apart again. Once i time to a greater extent than he was homeless, as well as oftentimes incarcerated.
He finally hitting bottom inwards tardily 2010. Dukes spent Thanksgiving lonely nether the Lee Bridge inwards Richmond, eating mutual depression temperature noodles somebody had given him the 24-hour interval before. That level he realized he had to modify his life. The side yesteryear side morning time he entered the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center for Men.
The Salvation Army rehabilitation computer programme helped him to plough his life around. After completing the program, the Salvation Army offered him a job. He taught classes, served every bit a warehouse worker as well as an auctioneer. After living as well as working at the Salvation Army for 2 years, Duke knew it was fourth dimension to movement on to something greater. Although he was real fearful of leaving the safety of the Salvation Army, he wanted an instruction that would allow him to aid other people amongst struggles like to his.
In the autumn of 2012 Dukes began his studies at Reynolds. He entered his kickoff English linguistic communication shape amongst a non bad fearfulness of failure, simply also a rigid determination to succeed. His difficult worked earned him an “A” for the semester as well as the fearfulness disappeared. Now, amongst most xl credits nether his belt, Dukes has a 4.0 GPA. He earned a Career Services Certificate inwards Substance Abuse Counseling in conclusion December.
Dukes notes, “I am as well as thence grateful to Reynolds for the chance to consider people I would never receive got come upward into contact with. Reynolds is genuinely a identify where people tin come upward as well as grow.”
Today, Dukes is continuing his studies at Reynolds. He expects to graduate inwards 2017 amongst an Associate inwards Applied Science inwards Human Services. His dream is to receive got a career helping other people, perchance every bit a motivational speaker. He wants others to know that if he tin succeed, as well as thence tin they. He believes sharing his storey volition preclude others from next the same path. To this end, he currently volunteers at a local women’s prison, a rehabilitation facility, as well as a shelter.
Dukes is also an entrepreneur. He is the co-owner of a little thrift shop, “The Place of Peace Thrift Shop” inwards Richmond’s East End.
Finally, at this betoken inwards his life, he has a rigid back upward organisation inwards identify to maintain him on the correct rails as well as moving forward.
Winston Churchill said, "Success is non final, failure is non fatal: it is the courage to live on that counts."
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