While struggling with addiction, Tony and his significant other, Laci, made the difficult decision to put distance between them to focus on their recovery. Tony stayed in Tennessee while Laci moved to Kentucky, believing they’d have a better chance at sobriety if they worked on themselves separately.
“We didn’t want to know anybody,” he said. “We didn’t want our past to catch up with us when we were trying to make a future. We are one of the few that are blessed to make it out of addiction together. Most people aren’t able to do that.”
Tony built a career in industrial maintenance, earning over $80,000 a year. But when new ownership took over the company, he was forced out for not having a license or a high school diploma.
“That led me down a dark road,” he said. “I felt like I wasn’t good enough anymore because I didn’t finish school. I got to the 10th grade and never went back. I never thought I would be able to go back to school until I got here.”
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, Laci found a fresh start through Goodwill Kentucky and encouraged Tony to do the same. He moved back to join her and started working at our 2nd Chance Outlet in Louisville. There, he was introduced to the Excel Center—and last month, he was proud to be one of 76 graduates to earn their high school diploma.
“I never thought I would be able to go back to school until I got here,” he said. “Getting my high school diploma opened my eyes to new things. To even be able to say we can strive for a new quality of life is something that we never thought we’d be able to do. We were blind to the fact that there was more out there for us.”
Tony is now enrolled in college, pursuing a degree in industrial maintenance, a field where he already has years of hands-on experience. He and Laci recently welcomed their first child, and together they’ve maintained their sobriety for more than three and a half years.
“It’s the mission. Laci and I are dedicated to it,” he said. “Because it’s brought us so far. We hope our story helps others to come here, stay here, to gain the resources and the knowledge that you need to go back into the world. This place is good for building a foundation. Goodwill provides you with the foundation and the building blocks you need to start a new life.”