#aadap

100% of the proceeds will go to AADAP!  And ya'll know what we support!

Miranda, who is a part of the Olympia Academy staff, has been training for months for the upcoming marathon on behalf of AADAP and supporters.  She's been a friend of mine for about 5 years now and she's one of the nicest people I know! Genuinely nice (which is hard to come across now a days).  She's got a big heart, is always supportive, and loves unconditionally.  I love her and am so proud that she's a part of this marathon.  By donating any amount, you will be supporting AADAP and Miranda during the marathon.  Miranda is basically going to be representing everyone who donated through her link to AADAP during the marathon and I know she's going to complete all 26.2 miles! 

So support a wonderful person for a good cause.  Support the movement!  Please!  Anonymous donations are an option..and again any amount is appreciated! 

More AADAP graduates & a little info about the program!  Enjoy!

Got any questions for me?  Click the link below!

I was rummaging through some of the old stuff that I kept as memories during my stay at OA and came across this awesome motivational poem.  I hope this will help motivate people going through any struggles to keep pressing on and to never give up!

In OA & TC (Therapeutic Community) we need "Concepts" (positive quotes or sayings) to help us through tough times.  It works when you tell yourself positive things and have a positive mindset starting from the beginning of the day.

So here it is!

THE QUITTER

Fate handed the quitter a bump, and he dropped; The road seemed too rough to go, so he stopped. He thought of his hurt, and there came to his mind The easier path he was leaving behind. Oh, it's all much too hard, said the quitter right then; I'll stop where I am and not try again. He sat by the road and he made up his tale To tell when men asked why he happened to fail. A thousand excuses flew up to his tongue, And these on the thread of his story he strung, But the truth of the matter he didn't admit; He never once said, I was frightened and quit. Whenever the quitter sits down by the road And drops from the struggle to lighten his load, He can always recall to his own peace of mind A string of excuses for falling behind; But somehow or other he can't think of one Good reason for battling and going right on. Oh, when the bump comes and fate hands you a jar, Don't baby yourself, boy, whoever you are; Don't pity yourself and talk over your woes; Don't think up excuses for dodging the blows. But stick to the battle and see the thing through. And don't be a quitter, whatever you do.

--Edgar A. Guest

Don't give up!  Recovery especially is tough because it's ongoing, and never-ending, but trust me--IT WILL BECOME EASIER AS TIME GOES BY!  Take it ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Pictures up as promised! :)

A picture of Oliver (One of the 5 graduates) and myself!

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Check out this video of inspiration.  He is the first graduate of Olympia Academy and I'm proud to announce that he has achieved his goal in becoming a counselor!

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Less than 10 hours left to go before Oliver gets to officially join the alumni group of Olympia Academy and gets to forever be a part of a 2nd family.  I've only gotten one message back!  Leave a message by clicking the link below!

http://jennchun.tumblr.com/ask

He's going to be so surprised when he sees how supportive people can be! Thanks again, hope to get some new messages soon! ♥

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Graduation is a HUGE accomplishment in the world of Olympia Academy, and I'm happy to announce that Oliver N. will be graduating this Thursday!!  He is, I believe, the fastest person to complete the program after 10 months.  You may think that this is a long period of time, but a residential program like Olympia Academy can typically take between 12-18 months to complete.  For me, personally, it took the entire 18 months, believe it or not!

You have to remember and keep in mind that this program is developed to rehabilitate someone to become a productive member of society again.  Before stepping into a program, we weren't used to any restrictions.  We did and got what we want, whenever we wanted.  Nothing was impossible and authority doesn't exist in our world.  We begin to disobey our parent(s), teachers, guardian(s), social worker, or anyone who seems to actually care about our future.  Following simple instructions begins to get harder to do and bad habits begin to develop.

Checking into an institution like Olympia Academy helps to try to get us to follow a simple structured day, and abide by their rules (something that we were never used to).  They help to start to break our bad habits of self destruction and try to build a brighter future.

We've all heard the saying "Practice makes perfect" and PRACTICE is definitely what we do, what I did, for 18 long months, but I'm going to keep it real and let you know that no one comes out perfect.  We are always a work in progress  Understand that recovery is on-going, never-ending, and a daily struggle.

Let me wrap up and say that Oliver has shown IMMENSE progress and extraordinarily fast over his 10 month stay at OA (short for Olympia Academy) and I am very proud of him!  Programs such as these are really really hard to complete (and I can't stress that enough).  To give you an idea of how hard it is....there have only been more or less of 15 graduates total over the past 10+ years.  There is at least a constant average of 10-14 teens there everyday!!!  and GRADUATIONS are important for this very reason.  Unfortunately, many teens do not complete this program..and it shows how strong and dedicated the GRADUATE has to be in order to have completed the program.  So congrats to you, Oliver!  I wish you much success in the future, and I will always be here to support you!

If you have any questions for either myself or Oliver, please ask!  I will be doing an interview with him on Thursday after his graduation ceremony and will be sure to ask him then.  Also, I will be taking a few pictures to give you all an exclusive sneek-peek of what a typical graduation ceremony looks like at OA.

**If you know anyone struggling with drug addiction or if you have a question in general about the program please feel free to ask!  Anonymous questions are accepted!**