I'm doing what I'm meant to do . . .
        --Ann Gademsky, Class of 2003 

What do a New York state police officer, an accountant for a national toy manufacturing company, a successful small business owner, and a homeless alcoholic have in common? These are some of the past lives of Ann Gademsky, valedictorian of the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies class of 2003. Ann also knows firsthand the challenges of recovery. Her past includes five different inpatient addiction treatment programs, enrollment at several outpatient and extended care facilities, and periodic stays at detox units-all as a patient.

"I know that the program of recovery works miracles in people's lives," says Ann, who earned a Master of Arts degree in Addiction Counseling at Hazelden. "And now I can carry the message of hope to others still suffering from addiction." During her final semester she was hired as a float counselor, offering assistance where needed, and eventually was hired as a Chemical Dependency Professional 2 on the Shoemaker unit. Today she is Supervisor of Adult Tobacco Recovery and will be working with primary patients as well as supervising the Your Next Step Program.

Ann describes her two years as a Hazelden graduate student as "intense," "life-changing," and "personally, professionally, and academically challenging." She is grateful for the graduate school's comprehensive integration of addiction treatment theory and practice, which prepared her to step with confidence into a counseling position immediately upon graduation.

"As graduate students, we had the opportunity throughout our studies to work directly with patients on Hazelden treatment units," explains Ann. "Our clinical work was supervised by experienced treatment professionals. Our coursework was taught by respected experts in the treatment field. And our classes were held on the same campus as the renowned treatment center. It was an ideal learning environment."

In writing her valedictorian speech, Ann was moved by this passage on page 25 of the Big Book:

The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.

"That's when it gelled for me," Ann recalls. "That's when I thought, ‘Yeah, I'm doing what I'm meant to do.'"

Her experience at Hazelden provided Ann with more than the basic requirements for obtaining a license in alcohol in drug counseling. From addiction science and research to Twelve Step methodology to counseling approaches and strategies, Ann graduated from Hazelden with the knowledge and skills necessary for working and growing as a treatment professional.