Nicole’s father was a heroin addict and her mother left him when she was only 3 years old. For the first 10 years of her life, Nicole watched her father struggle to get clean and sober. At 15, Nicole started drinking and using cocaine. She says she had a long and painful bottom and eventually found the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous in her twenties. Nicole has 13 months clean and sober now and is a high school teacher.  She’s pleased today when she’s able to pass the message of hope and recovery onto her students when necessary.