National Adult Literacy Database

April 25, 2011

The following story was written by Shaun Stephan, from Nanaimo, BC. Shaun is enrolled in literacy classes at Literacy Central Vancouver Island, in Nanaimo.

My Life

by Shaun Stephan

My name is Shaun Stephan. I am 29 years old and I have a daughter named Destiny who is 4. I live in Chilliwack on the Main Land. I was incarcerated for stealing cars to support my drug habit. I was sentenced to 18 months and I am due to be released on Oct. 8, 2009.

I volunteered to enter the program at Guthrie because I realize I need to change my life because I have been on drugs so long. I expected it to be hard, which it is because I have been using for so long. I was scared to come here because I didn’t know what I was walking into.

Some of the things that have changed me at Guthrie are:

1. I had to face my fears and realize that life is not all about drugs. I have been doing drugs since I was 12. This is the longest (9months) time I have been clean. Now I can focus and I actually care about people and things, care about my family and most importantly I care about myself. I finally have self-esteem.
2. My friend Andrew Phillipson helped me out. He helped me with my paperwork to get into Guthrie. I couldn’t read or write. Andrew made me feel better about myself. He’s always by my side. Andrew is not a druggy.
3. John Howard staff are good people. They are not like staff, they are more like family. They will do anything to help you. I’ll miss them when I get out. If it wasn’t for them I probably wouldn’t have succeeded.

When I get out I hope to get a job and stay clean, and possibly go to school. I’m staying at the John Howard House in Nanaimo. I’ll probably go to NA and hopefully come back for alumni’s.

[This story was taken with permission from In Our Words, 2009 edition, p.3.  This is a collection of writings by students at Literacy Central Vancouver Island, in Nanaimo.]