IN THIS ISSUE: Students in OC’s chemical dependency professional program have overcome abuse, addiction and criminal records to become leaders in fighting the region’s drug crisis; free college programs are sweeping the country and OC is piloting its own version in 2019; OC alum and filmmaker Debora Lascelles hopes her documentary about Kitsap’s Coffee Oasis will shine a spotlight on youth homelessness; alum Kiki Ayers has gone from being homeless to rubbing elbows with celebrities as an LA publicist, and OC’s new art gallery brought together military veterans and First Nations people for an exhibit about resiliency.
“I tell my students, you stand as a beacon in the community of what is possible.” ~Mirelle Cohen, coordinator, OC chemical dependency professional program