Student Who Turned Life Around Set to Join More Than 1,400 Students Graduating From the College on May 21
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA)—More than 1,400 students, many of whom triumphed over incredible obstacles to achieve success, will receive degrees and certificates from Delaware County Community College at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 21 at The Pavilion at Villanova University.
Among the graduates will be Michael Bates, 48, of Broomall, a non-traditional student whose harrowing journey to degree attainment is a testament to his character and to the assistance he received from a variety of faculty and staff at the College. Bates was accepted for transfer to Drexel University, where he received a scholarship and plans this fall to study Behavioral Health.
It is a wonder Bates is alive, let alone an honor roll student. Alcohol, cocaine, crack, crystal meth–Bates, used them at one time or another, starting when he was 11 years old and continuing well into his adult years. A victim of sexual abuse at a young age, Bates says he used drugs to escape and soon became an addict. His life spiraled out of control putting him in touch with the underbelly of society and landing him in crack houses and other seedy places in New York and Philadelphia. “I sometimes wonder, what with all that has transpired in my life, why the hell am I still around,” Bates says on his blog site, Confessions of an Angry Gay Male.
Over the years, Bates hopscotched across the country. A native of Drexel Hill, he moved to Appleton, Wisconsin with his parents for a few years, but was expelled from a high school there in the 11th grade. He moved with his parents to New Jersey, where he attended Ocean City High School, but that only lasted a few months before he decided to leave his parents and move to New York City.
In New York, he volunteered for the Gay and Lesbian Youth of New York, an advocacy organization, while working for a trendy furniture gallery and living with two roommates. He also was involved in the Institute for the Protection of Gay and Lesbian Youth. For a brief period, Bates also attended the Harvey Milk School in New York, named after the late gay-rights advocate and groundbreaking San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. But he soon succumbed to the fast-paced, New York night club life and fell even more heavily into addiction.
He eventually left New York and returned to the Philadelphia area, where he held a series of jobs, such as customer service at an Atlantic City casino, hairdresser on the Main Line, bartender and data entry clerk for TV Guide magazine. All the while, he kept dabbling in alcohol and drugs. In 2003, with the help of Narcotics Anonymous, he stayed drug and alcohol free for two years, only to relapse in 2005.
It was not until 2011 that Bates received a wake-up call when his mother died. "Mom's death left me with courage to get back what was rightfully mine and take this world on ….," he says on his blog site. By the fall of 2012, he had enrolled at Delaware County Community College. A year later, he attended a Narcotics Anonymous convention in Philadelphia, which cemented his decision to stay clean.
"When I came in, I fell in love with learning," Bates said of the College. "When I’m at home I don’t feel alive; when I’m here, I feel alive." In particular, he credits Mathematics professor Grace Jones and counselor Ryan Jeral, people whom he says would not let him give up on himself. Others also helped including Bernadette Mills, a former counselor in the College's Act 101 program, and assistant professor of Allied Health Susan Scalzi. "This student has been through so much and to accomplish what he has is an inspiration for others," Scalzi said.
Now, two years off drugs and alcohol, Bates, a Psychology major and winner of the College’s Optimist Award, was accepted for transfer to Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Drexel Universities. This fall, he plans to transfer and major in Behavioral Health at Drexel, where he received a scholarship. Eventually, he wants to earn a master’s degree in Social Work, then work as a therapist and help troubled youth. "I want to give back," he says. A gifted writer, he also plans on using his life experiences and much of the diary posts he has shared on his blog to write a book. He jokingly says he may call it, "From Crack House to Frat House."
(Note: A photo of Michael Bates is available by request.)
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