September 2025 Student of the Month

I am currently a Plant Manager for Goya Foods in Puerto Rico. I have 2 kids, Laura and Brett, and 2 grandkids. I was unexpectedly widowed 3 months ago after being with my wife for 40 years. I’m passionate about honesty, loyalty, and assisting those on the road to recovery from addiction. I also enjoy reading and following Manchester United. I wanted to pursue an education in drug and alcohol addiction to understand more about my addictions, and the real prompt, as I was procrastinating about doing a course, was the suicide of a best friend 1 year ago.

I have a college degree in Lithographic Printing and Engineering from Congella College in Durban, South Africa. ATI suited me because I liked the coursework, and the cost and online availability were a huge contributing factor. The coursework is not too overloaded, especially with working a full-time job. I plan to be employed in a recovery facility after I graduate. If I can help just 1 person to recover, that would be miraculous. I couldn’t imagine a better type of work than being an addiction counselor. It’s a dream I have and one I will obtain by the grace of a higher source guiding me through the journey they have chosen for me.