Dwayne Sloan was enthusiastic about having the opportunity to chat with me and share about how Benilde Hall had impacted his life. He had just earned his culinary certificate from New Reflections Technical Institute and is on his way to his new apartment any day now.
“I wanted to make sure I talked to you before I got out of here,” Dwayne told me as we wrapped up our conversation. What I had imagined to be a quick, 5-minute chat had turned into nearly a half hour conversation about Dwayne’s recent achievements and what Benilde Hall meant to him. He was sociable, open-minded, and proud of the work he’d done in our program.
Below is a summarized transcript of my inspiring interview with Dwayne.
Q: How did you discover Benilde Hall?
A: I’ve been here several times, as a matter of fact about six, and just this last time I came here to really just change my way of life. Before, I was leaving before I really let this place do what it needed to do for me.
Q: What goals did you have for yourself this time around? How was it different?
A: First, I had to get clean and maintain it instead of getting clean, going back out and celebrating by getting high again. So I got a little more serious about what I was doing with my life ‘cause I’ve gotten older, I’m 69-years-old…
I entered the culinary deal, started doing that, it became more bearable for me. This place here, I advise anybody who’s trying to get their thing together. Because you can get all the help you can possibly get, but it's up to you to change. And when you change, they encourage you to change and keep trying and have patience. As far as getting help, this resource here, and it’s changed a lot [from how it used to be], but I advise anybody that wants to change, has a substance use or homeless issue, or anything, to come here… You just got people [at Benilde Hall] helping you all the way around– everything.
Q: How did you discover you wanted to do culinary school?
A: I always have wondered what it would take to get that certificate [to be a chef]... At first, because of the academic part of it, I almost said ‘forget this’. But when my teacher told me that she liked the way I prepared certain things… she said you got the best. That really made me realize, you know, I can do this…
They really made me feel good about what they said about me. Because the other girls [in my class], they’d been in catering and one had a pastry business, and you know, I was right with ‘em… I can make anything because I can now do a recipe. I can look at something, and I know I can do that. That’s a good feeling.
Q: How has your outlook on life changed since coming to Benilde Hall this last time?
A: You can still be yourself, just not with the other stuff. ‘Cause the streets, it wore on me to the point I was consumed by it. I didn’t know I was consumed by it. It’s just like, that’s all you know. It becomes a regular routine. This place helped me stop and look at where I was going. ‘Cause I looked up, I was twenty-four at one time, I looked up– I’m sixty-nine! And I been getting high all that time.
Q: What is something you wish people knew about you before judging you?
A: Basically, I don’t judge something ahead of time, I give something chance enough… I’ll check out something before I say ‘no’, I’ll check it out… I’m a people-person, I get along with people and I give them a chance.
Q: Do you have any other hobbies or interests you’re excited to spend more time on?
A: You know, I’m an artist… But I haven’t picked up to do what I was God-blessed with since I got grown and got into the streets and stuff. And you know, I’m a really good artist… I’ll probably sit back and get back into that.
Q: Has being at Benilde Hall helped you find a support group of true friends?
A: Oh yes, they have classes here sometimes, I remember a couple times… I’d go and just sit in when they were talking. I look back, and I can see where a person is struggling, who’s new to this, or might be going through something, and I try to lift them up. I give them my input, not what they should do but what I did to feel better about this place…
This place here is a mixture of treatment, of education about yourself, and you know, getting a job and getting back into society and functioning. And it gives you all of that, according to what you’re looking for.
[End interview]
From our conversation, I could tell that Dwayne believes deeply in the power of the community that Benilde Hall fosters. It is a judgment-free environment focused on accountability and personal-growth where clients can heal and learn tools to better themselves. Dwayne’s genuine trust in our program and commitment to improving his own life have allowed him to recover and find his own unique purpose.
We are proud to celebrate the hard work of our clients, like Dwayne, who uncover their own talents and passions to build a new future for themselves. We provide them with the resources they need to change their lives, but they are the ones who ultimately do the work. Because Dwayne showed up for himself, embraced the Benilde Hall community, and engaged with treatment, he is able to live a brand new life.
If you’d like to continue making these success stories possible, consider donating to our program at the link below.
