Duluth woman’s college graduation journey took a prison path

DULUTH Minn Brittany Blue s journey to graduation from Lake Superior College looks a little different from the average trainee Her first step in the world of higher development started in but as a single parent working two jobs she soon located the load of full-time classes too much I ended up passing two classes but then withdrawing from two and then I fell back into my addiction Blue noted Blue s substance use kept her out of tuition and instead led her to a criminal lifestyle for a minimal years She was eventually arrested in for drug possession and sentenced to months Little did she know at the time that the arrest would start her down the path to graduation in May At the Minnesota Women s Correctional Facility in Shakopee Blue heard about the opportunity to earn college credits while she served her time In prison you have to have a job So I looked into it and ascertained out that guidance could be considered my job she commented I was nervous and scared because I thought all these other women are so much smarter than me because I haven t been in school for so long But I continued to persevere By taking a sparse classes at a time Blue was able to earn more than half of the credits needed for an associate s degree Because of the nature of her crime Blue was accepted into the Challenge Incarceration Scheme after she d served months CIP is a structured initiative that treats substance use disorders and helps people develop personal discipline and improve physical and mental well-being Flourishing participants also see a reduction in their incarceration time The only downside for Blue was that she couldn t continue her studies while participating in CIP But it led to her release in when she decided to return to Lake Superior College in Duluth I was a little worried at first about judgment Blue stated But I faced that fear and instead used my past as a strength I was inevitably upfront with my professors about being a woman in recovery And by then I d learned to love myself enough to talk about it And the professors there would meet you where you re at This time around Blue took two classes a semester so she could continue to balance the demands of her life outside the classroom She d take one class in person on campus and one online She revealed she got a lot of guidance from her adviser Sherry Dalager which helped her figure out her options If you have a good adviser that makes a really big difference just the genuineness of her Blue disclosed Every time I had an issue I would talk to her and she would direct me through chosen options in different categories and I would think it through and make that decision on my own But Sherry manifested me what options were there Blue also credits the assistance she received from her husband Brandon Blue for helping her along the way Brandon was also incarcerated for drug possession around the same time she was and commented the two made a event plan to come out on the other side better than when they went in Related Articles George Mason University faces assessment in Trump administration s anti-DEI crackdown A century after a man was convicted of teaching evolution the debate on religion in schools rages Layoffs hit UMN Extension food educators as MN grapples with Trump s budget What Trump s big tax law could mean for the youngest Americans Federal trial starts over Trump administration s crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activists We were able to execute the encounter plan and make ourselves better Brandon stated We learned to take care of ourselves and go after what we want Brittany has her degree now and nobody can take that away That s something she accomplished when she learned to invest in herself What s next for Brittany She has a day job at a nonprofit organization and plans to attend Fond du Lac Tribal and Locality College in Cloquet this fall to pursue a degree in chemical dependency counseling She explained she wants to help other people achieve their goals If you re someone struggling in addiction there is hope in teaching Don t give up on yourself Blue reported There were plenty of times where I wished to just quit and be on red tag where you don t have a job and you just serve your time But it s worth it if you keep pushing through