Renee Addison described her elementary school persona as the introverted student who loved school, but got bored easily. Nearly four decades later, as she prepares to receive her GED from the Riverside County Office of Education, Renee’s life story is anything but boring.
As a teenager, Renee fell in with the wrong crowd—initiating a chain of events that would alter her life in more ways than she could have ever imagined.
“I started caring more about fitting in, which led to the start of the partying aspect of life,” Renee said. “It was not good for my education.”
She attended a continuation high school and almost finished her diploma, but ended up dropping out.
“I was disappointed, but everyone is presented with different roads, and sometimes your biggest failures lead you to your biggest rewards,” Renee said. “I’ve come to that conclusion, and I’m blessed to see that now. It’s weird how life is like that.”
Renee married young and had four children—putting her career goals and aspirations on the backburner. Renee spent the next years focused on being a wife and a mother.
“They were a blessing and re-balanced me. Being a mother was everything to me,” Renee said.
But, in other parts of her life, Renee was dealing with the effects of trying to survive narcissistic abuse and the unhealthy coping mechanism of addiction. Over time, Renee’s choices led to arrests, convictions, and jail time.
“Sometimes I would make jokes that I wish I had a Go Pro camera on so others could see the environments and moments that I went through,” Renee said. “I was drowning in alcoholism and addiction as a single mom and didn’t know who I was.”
A New Pathway Emerges
After many stops and starts, Renee has discovered a new path in life that radically shifted her perspective on her situation.
“I’ve learned that the justice system is really kind of beautiful. That they give us so many chances after we’ve made so many mistakes,” Renee said. “If you stop and take the time to reflect back on yourself, there are advantages to being a criminal in our system. If you have humbleness in your character, you can turn yourself around and I took advantage of what there was to offer and I’ve come out for the better.”
One of the opportunities Renee took advantage of is available at all three Day Reporting Center offices throughout Riverside County. As individuals are required to check in with probation officers, they have access to a wide variety of additional services—including education.
Jonathan Hess is a teacher for the Riverside County Office of Education who works with Renee and many other students at the Temecula Day Reporting Center who are seeking an educational boost for a brighter future.
“I tested Renee at the beginning like I do with all students, and her scores were low. But, that didn’t matter, because she kept trying and trying,” Jonathan said. “She believed that she could do it, and that’s the perfect attitude to have in life.”
“My probation officer first brought up education again, and we set up educational goals as part of my probation,” Renee said. “It was nostalgic when I first came to the DRC, it took me back to being in school.”
Renee committed to completing her GED—even though she didn’t have a driver’s license, and she had a 2-year old daughter named Phoenix. Renee’s father would transport Renee to and from the Day Reporting Center and watch Phoenix while Renee studied.
“What I’ve done in a year is astounding to me. I would get flustered sometimes because it was hard to study. Math was my biggest hurdle, but Mr. Hess was there for me,” Renee said. “On days I was going through unimaginable storms, he handed me an umbrella and helped me realize the beauty of the rain.
Renee completed her GED in just over a year, and is set to walk along with 19 graduates who have also embraced their second chance, at the Day Reporting Center Graduation to be held at the Riverside County Office of Education on Wednesday, May 17, in downtown Riverside.
“My mindset was that there was no going back. The perseverance had to be there for me. It was a scary place I have come from, and I had to make the choice to go forward,” Renee said. “Now, I have dreams that I didn’t have three or four years ago, and it’s all because I’m sober and clean.”
What's Next
When she was younger, Renee dreamed of one day being a chef, but the only job she has been able to obtain has been to be a dishwasher at a local restaurant.
“When the chef called me back and offered me the job, I think a lot of people would have thought there’s no way they were going to wash dishes,” Renee said. “But, I have been going to work every day, and am so happy to scrub dishes because I have a job. I turned scrubbing those dishes into a work of art.”
Now, Renee reports that the chef is so happy to have her there, and there are more opportunities that might be available as a result of her hard work.
“He told me what kind of difference I’ve made at the restaurant,” Renee said. “You have to look at life through the opportunities that could come your way—to see your goals and dreams that can only come your way if you give them a chance.”
As she approaches her graduation day, Renee has been talking with college and career counselors about continuing her education.
“Ever since I received my GED, I’ve been tackling everything in life with vigor, and an appetite to do more,” Renee said. “Today, we were talking about a Ph.D. degree, but that’s aiming for the sky, and I’m going to start with an A.A. or bachelor’s degree.”
Renee is interested in using her experiences to provide peer support and drug counseling to others. She has plans to enroll at either Palomar College or Mt. San Jacinto College.
“It’s been a positive domino effect ever since I left treatment 2 years and 5 months ago, and I want to make a difference in this world for others,” Renee said. “I’ve been able to see how people have treated me in beautiful ways, and not being judged. I have so much to share with people who have gone through similar things as me—that they don’t have to suffer forever, and they can come back from the mistakes they’ve made.”
Fresh Mindset For Life
Renee sees this moment in her life as an opportunity that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
“It’s a second chance at being a good example that I never was before. You live by the example you are, and I’m not taking this second chance for granted,” Renee said. “That’s why I haven’t stopped. There are so many people who don’t get second chances, and I want to be wise about my life.”
From his desk at the front of the classroom at the Day Reporting Center, Mr. Hess also had a front row seat to witness the evolving of Renee’s approach to life.
“What used to crush her, doesn’t anymore,” Mr. Hess said. “While she got her life back together, she took care of her education at the same time.”
As she dons the cap and gown for the first time in her 40’s, and with Phoenix by her side, Renee is embracing the lessons from her past in order to break the cycle and remain focused on the future.
“It’s all about how you look at things. You don’t have to look at life like everything’s against you,” Renee said. “For me, with my record, sometimes I just want to cry about it, but I can’t. I’m choosing to look at my situation differently. To turn things around and believe in myself.”
Renee’s new objective is to live day-by-day to become the best version of herself for her five children, Quest (20), Cadence (18), Ryder (15), Oliver (14), and Phoenix (3).
“I know what I left behind yesterday, and I live to be a bigger person today,” Renee said. “We all can do that—just be a little better than you were yesterday.”
“I believe in myself and that I’m stronger than the abuse,” Renee said defiantly. “I love myself now, because of everything I’ve achieved, I’ve beat It. I’m a walking embodiment of my goals.”