Mountainside scholarships empower students impacted by substance abuse

NORTH CANAAN, Conn. — For the fourth year in a row, Mountainside Treatment Center is providing $10,000 worth of academic scholarships to 10 high school juniors and seniors living in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The substance abuse treatment provider created the Mountainside Brighter Future College Scholarships to support students who have been impacted by substance use disorders in sharing their stories and raising awareness of addiction’s impact on families.

Since the program’s inception in 2021, nearly 350 scholarship applications were received, according to Mountainside spokesman Kevin Doyle.

“These stories carry a lot of weight and emotions. It’s amazing to see children and teens overcome trauma and struggles,” said Doyle, who noted that more than 200 applications for the scholarships were received in 2023.

Sobering statistics

Studies show that 21 million children in the United States live with a parent who misuses substances and more than 2 million live with a parent who struggles with a substance use disorder.

Young people also grapple with substance misuse firsthand due to factors such as peer pressure or the belief that substances will help them improve their grades or athletic ability.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 62% of adolescents have abused alcohol by their senior year of high school and 46% have tried illicit drugs.

These substance use habits can have fatal consequences, with more than 11% of total overdose deaths impacting those aged 15 to 24, according to NCDAS.

In their words: winning essays

One scholarship winner’s essay, titled “Papa’, the Glass Cleaner,” began: “The world feels small from 1,100 feet off the ground – small and light. My papa’ worked a job where he defied death every day in order to provide for my family. I am eight at the time and my Papa’ is my hero.”

But by age 10, the student wrote, “for the first time, on Christmas Eve, I realize my father is not perfect. Every hero has their weakness. My father’s kryptonite was a green bottle of Heineken.”

Another winning essayist observed how the world seemed “perfect” as a youngster, but as the years passed, “I realized the world was never even good in the first place. My dad started his relationship with alcohol when I was born, so in a way I never got to meet the man my mom married.

“I grew up with him brewing his own beer in the basement and watching him stumble around in the evenings, but my mom always put me to bed before anything happened.”

The Mountainside scholarship, the student wrote in her essay, “will allow me to pursue my dreams in criminal psychology and assist me in helping the people that need it most. I can ensure that they get it instead of being separated from society unjustly.”

Another winning essayist wrote of her mother’s addiction.

“The thing about addiction that people may not realize, is it can be a camouflaged agent of poison: unnoticeable and kills slowly.

“Growing up, my mom would enjoy a glass of wine once a night. However, as we have gotten older and she is by herself at the end of the night, that glass of wine slowly turned into a bottle. My mother’s addiction to alcohol is apparent by all her family members, but not to herself.”

The student noted how that addiction impacted not only her mother, but also those around her.

“My brother who still lives with my mom, gets the full effects of it … When I found out that my mom would sometimes try to pick up my brother from work after having some wine, I immediately became concerned, and almost angered with her that she would put my brother at risk. I offered to pick my brother up from work whenever needed, and this continues today.”

Mission to educate and empower

For Mountainside, the Brighter Future College Scholarship is just one step in a series of community efforts to educate and empower those struggling to reach out for help.

Joskar Yanes, who earned the scholarship last year and is currently a freshman at Tufts University in Massachusetts, said in a telephone interview last week that it represents more than just a monetary value.

“It helped me become more confident in embracing my past. You find a part of yourself,” by completing the process.

Yanes recalled the “ripple effect” addiction had on his family.

“It also leaves invisible scars which are hard to see,” Yanes said. “I felt like I had to hide it. It was a subconscious choice.”

The college student, who is studying cognitive and brain sciences and social psychology, recommended that other high school students facing addiction challenges consider the application process.

“Regardless of the outcome of the scholarship, you may find and embrace a part of yourself.”

Interested applicants are invited to submit a short essay explaining how they have been impacted by their own or a loved one’s substance use disorder and how it has shaped their understanding of the disease.

Through the scholarships, Mountainside strives to assist individuals affected by addiction in the pursuit of their academic and life ambitions emphasizing that this illness should not be a defining characteristic for anyone.

The $10,000 in scholarship funds will be provided to students as $1,000 awards to 10 scholarship applicants.

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is May 1, 2025, and winners will be announced later that month.