Coming out of a pit of loss to regain control of life could be a theme for many Americans today in this time of need. Bremerton resident Teresa Grant has done just that. After 20 years, she has returned to school, sober, supporting five children, with determination for a career in the medical field. "I'm sure that if I really buckled down and wanted to do something like physical therapy assistant or nurse, that I could make it through it," said Grant. Grant graduated from Bremerton High School in 1987 but "went off the deep end" with alcohol and other issues that landed her and her husband nearly homeless. "One day we both just decided that this is not how we want to live, and this is not how we want our children raised," said Grant. It was then that both Grant and her husband took the "clean and sober" route as they began to rise out of the ashes to take care of themselves, and their five children. "I want to go back to school," said Grant, "I think that that would be a good way to go through recovery and get back on my feet again and do something that my kids and I would be proud of." Although they live separately, Grant and her husband now raise five children between the ages of three and 16. When Grant found out that three of her sons had been diagnosed with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, she said it gave her a "passion" to learn more about the disease. "I'm trying to figure out all these ways I can be motivated to do things in life, and help my children at the same time," said Grant. In her first class at Olympic College almost two years ago, she obtained a 4.0 in medical terminology. With support from the OC advising department and constant encouragement from professor Barbara Parker, Grant said she had become "excited about learning." "If I didn't have teachers that were inspiring, I don't think I could do it," said Grant. Grant had her own disabilities during middle school and high school, and said that she wants to make a better life for her children. In addition to school and parenting, Grant recently completed an internship at Kitsap Community Resources where she assisted in the housing department. Next she will either find a part-time job, or do work-study. "She's a success story," said mother-in-law and part-time care provider Mary Laffin, "because of five kids and a job and going to school." When she decided to sober up, Grant said she had the opportunity to stay at home or go back to school. Now she said she studies late nights and Saturdays, has changed her life around 90 percent and is happy. "Nobody knows what tomorrow's gonna bring," said Grant. "If I don't have anything, at least I have some hope."
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