TAMPA, Fla. — High school can be challenging for kids to stay out of trouble. Many are exposed to drugs and alcohol, and some even become addicted. However, there’s a local school called Victory High School for teenagers who are struggling with substance abuse and are on the road to recovery.
“Whatever was around me, I would try it; But, my main thing was – we called it drugs of choice – and it was crack,” said Jake, who’s a student. Gabe Son, a student mentor, said, “Kids start getting drug tested, so they have to turn to something else that doesn’t show up and, for me, that was alcohol, mushrooms, whatever it was.”
There are currently two schools in the Bay Area: one in Pinellas County and the other in Pasco County.
“So, Victory High Schools are actually private, non-profit schools for teenagers that are struggling with addictions and mental health issues, so depression, anxiety, ADHD,” said Tina Miller, founder of the school.
Miller opened her first school in 2021. Here, students can earn their diplomas away from the pressures and temptations of traditional high schools. The staff consists of teachers, mental health experts, and peer mentors.
“I created Victory High Schools because it was a school that I needed as a teenager. I was a survivor of childhood trauma, rape and domestic violence and I struggled with addictions before the age of 18,” said Miller.
“I definitely wouldn’t be here to this day if it wasn’t for this school,” said 15-year-old Jake. He knows firsthand the importance of having a support system and being around people who understand his struggle.
“For different programs I’ve been to, I have people that aren’t in recovery telling me things of what I need to do to stay sober, and I don’t get anything from it because they don’t get it at all. Like, they don’t understand the struggle every single day and the precautions you need to take every day to stay sober that day.”
“Having an adult or teacher tell you something is a lot different than having a peer tell you something,” said Son. He graduated from Victory High School last year and decided to return as a peer mentor. He said his job gives him purpose, and as his shirt said, he wants to be a “Hope Dealer” because hope is what keeps him on the road to recovery.
In Tampa, a third Victory School is opening on the corner of Nebraska and Sligh. On Tuesday, Miller and her students held an orange ribbon, wearing shirts that said “We Are Victorious,” as she cut the ribbon to applause. Miller told me she would like to open schools in both Hernando and Manatee Counties within the next three years.
Click here to learn more about Victory High School.
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