Chris Campau was seven years sober when he first applied to NC State. He was rejected, likely due to his past legal issues and a 1.7 GPA during his time at Western Carolina University. Unfortunately, Campau’s story is not uncommon for those who have struggled with a substance abuse disorder. He is hoping to change that. After Campau was rejected from the university, he acted as a nondegree seeking student in the Department of Social Work at NC State, and founded a chapter of the nationwide organization Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) here at NC State, in order to unite other students who have suffered from addiction.
After reapplying to NC State a year later, Campau finally got his much-coveted acceptance letter. While he graduated from the Department of Social Work in 2015, he remains a key influencer of the CRC community, acting as the Collegiate Recovery Community Program Coordinator of North Carolina. NC State’s Collegiate Recovery Community acts as a well-rounded support system for students in recovery from alcohol and/or substance abuse. Nontraditional, transfer, nondegree seeking and traditional students alike are welcomed by CRC, but they all share a similar goal: staying sober. Campau explained just how important it is for students in recovery to “find their Wolfpack.”
“Universities are high-stress environments, and we know that addictions feed on stress,” Campau said. “[With] alcohol use disorder, and other substance use disorders, once you’re too stressed out to function anymore, substances become a viable option. And for students in recovery, having proper outlets, being able to talk about that stuff, and not just talking about it with another student, but being able to talk about it with a student who understands, having the full support of the campus, saying ‘we know it may be difficult for you at times, how can we support you?’ are all really important aspects of collegiate recovery.’”
The sobriety-focused group regularly tables across campus, attends university-sponsored health fairs, as well as larger events like Packapalooza. Another popular tradition CRC implements is tailgating — sober style. This year, the group traveled to Wake Forest for the NC State vs. Wake Forest football game. Campau described why events like these are critical in fostering a supportive environment for students recovering from substance abuse disorders.
“What was really cool about it [the tailgate] was I had met a young lady who, when I first met her, she was six days abstinent from alcohol,” Campau said. “I asked her, ‘what do you want collegiate recovery to do for you?’ and she said, ‘I just want to go to a football game and feel safe, and not feel so tempted to drink.’ So she was able to come with us to the Wake Forest game and enjoy a tailgate.”
Jesse Bennett, former president of CRC and graduate of NC State’s Department of Social Work, said being a part of CRC was crucial in navigating the road to recovery alongside those who have been there firsthand.
Bennett now works as a Harm Reduction Outreach Worker at the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, a statewide organization which works to implement harm reduction interventions, public health strategies, drug policy transformation, and justice reform, according to their website. For Bennett, the word “recovery” represents more than a desire to stay sober.
“Recovering a life that I once lost, being able to recover not only the relationships with my family, but building on that and having meaningful relationships with students and peers [is what recovery means to me],” Bennett said.
Another highlight of CRC is that it brings together students from all walks of life, who have been through similar struggles, and are working toward a better life for themselves. This is reason enough to unite students who are in recovery from addiction, an idea Bennett further explained.
“You might have an 18-year-old who’s in recovery hanging out with nontraditional students in recovery,” said Bennett. “But age doesn’t matter because we’re all working toward the same thing.”
Bennett noted that it has been encouraging, and rewarding, watching NC State faculty members support CRC, as well as the friendships that have formed within the organization.
For students currently suffering with a substance abuse disorder, Campau suggested utilizing on campus resources, specifically the Counseling Center’s substance abuse counselors, because creating a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is critical in paving one’s path toward recovery.
As a whole, CRC has helped many students who were in situations like Campau’s get accepted into NC State. Now, Campau said the majority of these students have a 3.5 GPA or above, clearly benefiting from the recovery-friendly environment that CRC offers students. This year, the organization plans on doing even more education and advocacy-related events on and around campus. Campau has been ensuring the organization is running smoothly, even after graduating, through effective leadership and organization efforts but mainly by showing students that recovery is possible. And it is worth it.
“We, as individuals in recovery, we’ve made some mistakes,” Campau said. “Most of us are willing to be accountable for those, and all we’re really looking for is somebody to take a chance on us.”
