47-year-old who was a meth addict at 12 and had 17 felony convictions graduates University after getting clean
Regardless of our identities, we’re bound to encounter challenges in life. While some of us may grapple with these challenges for extended periods, there’s potential to triumph over them and attain remarkable accomplishments.
Ginny Burton embodies this very journey, and her narrative is nothing short of inspiring. Despite facing adversity from a tender age, she navigated through tumultuous circumstances, battling addiction by the age of 12 and accumulating 17 felony charges.
Life’s challenges can affect anyone, leading some individuals to seek solace in substance use. Ginny’s journey with addiction commenced at the tender age of 12 when she became ensnared by methamphetamine. However, her tryst with substances began earlier; at just six years old, she was already experimenting with marijuana. Tragically, Ginny was introduced to meth by her own mother at 12, and by 14, she found herself ensnared in the grips of crack cocaine.
When Jenny was 17, she made her first suicide attempt following a traumatic experience of rape. She found herself in an abusive marriage soon after, where she bore two children, and at the age of 23, she became addicted to heroin.
Reflecting on her past, she acknowledged, “I am that person. I have 17 felony convictions. I am the person you used to clutch your bag when I walked by you. I am the person that would randomly attack somebody in public. I was not a savory person. Everybody was a victim, and everybody was prey.”
Jenny recounted her life on the streets, describing how she and a male accomplice resorted to robbing drug dealers at gunpoint. She expressed, “When you’re stuck on the street and you smell like feces and you haven’t showered in forever and you can’t make it into a social service during working hours because you’re too busy trying to feed your addiction, and your addiction is bigger than you… and you’ve compromised your integrity a number of times over and over and over again, and you’re starting to be victimized by the people on the street… you’re hopeless.
“You can’t stand your life. You would rather be dead than alive. I spent most of my addiction wishing that somebody would just blow me away.”
At this juncture, she found herself at the end of her tether and pleaded to be enrolled in a drug diversion court program. Undertaking the requisite rehabilitation treatment, she succeeded in maintaining sobriety this time around.
Subsequently, she engaged in social service work and eventually, came to the realization that she desired to pursue further education. Reflecting on her journey, she remarked, “It made me realize how much time I had squandered in my life. And I also discovered that I had a genuine aptitude for learning, something that brought me joy.”
Determined to return to academia, she pursued studies in political science and entered university at the age of 47.
In her own words, she shared, “Today, I’ve relinquished my insecurities about my age, the creases on my face, my genetic makeup, my past failures, and the imposter syndrome, recognizing that regardless of circumstances, as long as I draw breath, I possess the capability to achieve anything I set my mind to. Graduating at 48 from the Political Science department at the University of Washington Seattle stands as a significant milestone for this former quitter.”
She added, “I believe my journey can serve as inspiration for others. Perhaps I can act as a guiding light, assisting individuals in reclaiming their own lives. That’s where my passion lies. While there are days when I yearn for a tranquil existence, tending to a garden and operating a quaint café, in reality, I understand it’s my responsibility to nurture hope and keep forging ahead.”
