If you ask LeRoy Langston how he describes himself, a 麻豆精品 S渟crapper 麻豆精品 S� might be one of the first words that comes to his mind. When reading for a leadership course earlier this semester, the 64-year-old student recognized the defining quality of a 麻豆精品 S渟crapper 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� the determination to push through any and every challenge 麻豆精品 S� as an integral part of the former felon and drug addict 麻豆精品 S檚 path to graduating from UCF this semester.
麻豆精品 S淚 really want to be an addiction counselor, that 麻豆精品 S檚 my ambition. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� LeRoy Langston, UCF student
麻豆精品 S淚 really want to be an addiction counselor, that 麻豆精品 S檚 my ambition, 麻豆精品 S� says Langston, who has earned a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in integrative general studies with a focus in social work. 麻豆精品 S淚 realize that is going to be another challenge because I can see how some people may not want to bring a 64-year-old intern into their organization. I 麻豆精品 S檓 a learner and I 麻豆精品 S檓 still learning how to trust and have faith in God in regard to what it looks like down the road, but I know God got me. 麻豆精品 S�
Part of that faith and trust comes from Langston 麻豆精品 S檚 focus on progress over perfection 麻豆精品 S� and knowing that no matter what 麻豆精品 S檚 ahead, the future is much brighter than what 麻豆精品 S檚 behind him.
Difficult Beginnings
Growing up in DeLand, Florida, Langston says his mother died before he even really knew what a mother was, leaving his father to care for him and his three siblings. Langston 麻豆精品 S檚 father held small jobs from time to time, but more often he gambled.
麻豆精品 S淢y dad is my hero. I love him, but he wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 educated and he had to go through a lot to keep us because in those times it was a different world then, 麻豆精品 S� Langston says. 麻豆精品 S淗e didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have much help and he was trying to raise four kids. Uneducated, no skills, he did what he could do. I spent a lot of time in the gambling joint with him to keep up with him and know where he was. 麻豆精品 S�
When it came to school, Langston says he did well academically, usually finishing his homework before he went home, and he loved to play sports, especially basketball in high school.
麻豆精品 S淚 always excelled at sports because I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have anything else to do and that was a way for me to validate myself, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 always wanted to be the best. None of that was even put on the table, and with my dad being uneducated I had no type of support whatsoever. 麻豆精品 S�
But at the time, Langston felt good grades and athletic performances weren 麻豆精品 S檛 enough to compensate for the poverty he had lived with his whole life. Looking for a way out when he was a teenager, he joined his younger sister 麻豆精品 S檚 boyfriend in robbing a bar in New Smyrna Beach and they were caught. At 17 years old, Langston was convicted as an adult with a 15-year sentence, before he could even finish the 10th grade.
麻豆精品 S淎t the time it didn 麻豆精品 S檛 make sense why I was tried as an adult, and now through my classes I 麻豆精品 S檝e learned about the school-to-prison pipeline so I see how I may have been a part of that, 麻豆精品 S� Langston says.
Criminal Past
While in prison, Langston did his best to adapt to his new reality. Whenever there were athletic events, he would compete and win money prizes. Using that, he would use the gambling skills he learned through his father to sustain himself. He also began pursuing his GED, which sparked a new interest.
麻豆精品 S淚 got hooked on reading, novels by Smoke Jensen helped me get through that time, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 was able to escape through those mountain man stories. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 was the description of an addict. You live to use and use to live, that was what I did. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� LeRoy Langston, UCF student
After three years in prison and while on a work assignment outside of the prison, Langston says he was approached by someone who told him he could make good money smuggling and selling marijuana inside. After a few months he got caught and faced his first drug charge, resulting in two years added to his sentence.
麻豆精品 S淢y parole officer said that when looking at my situation that I probably shouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have been in prison in the first place and he did what he needed to do to get me out after five years, 麻豆精品 S� he says.
By the early 1980s, Langston moved to Orlando and began working in a gambling establishment, and after a few years he began using cocaine. In 1989, Langston was caught selling the drug for the first time, but it wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be his last. During the next 15 years he would continue using and selling, resulting in more than five arrests and congestive heart failure, for which he is receiving disability benefits.
麻豆精品 S淚 was the description of an addict, 麻豆精品 S� Langston says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou live to use and use to live, that was what I did. I sold to keep using. I was so twisted in the head [using and] selling drugs. [During my last arrest] I 麻豆精品 S檓 looking at the undercover officer with a mustache falling off and I ignored that he was the police, that 麻豆精品 S檚 how much that thing got to me. 麻豆精品 S�
Making a Change
In 2013, Langston knew he needed to make a change after realizing how his lifestyle impacted his eldest son. He went to the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, located in Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 downtown Parramore neighborhood. After proving he stayed clean for his first three weeks, he enrolled in a rehabilitation program and eventually became a teaching aid for the GED program offered there. One day a representative from Orange Technical College came in and presented about a Pell Grant program that would pay for college. Langston qualified and even tested into accelerated courses at Valencia College.
麻豆精品 S淣ow that I can think clearly, I can recognize that it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 my doing, it was God because there was no way I would have walked away from the situation I was in and do something different, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat first semester they put me in flex classes, which were accelerated classes at the time, but after being out of school for 40 years and coming back my first semester I flunked every one of those classes. They wanted to know what was going on and I explained I had been out of school for 40 years and they allowed me to continue on. 麻豆精品 S�
After a second failed semester, Langston lost his Pell Grant eligibility, but he says a school counselor recognized his strengths and potential and found a way for him to continue taking classes. During his second year, Langston began doing better in his courses and continued improving his GPA over the next five years until transferring through the program in 2018.
Once a Knight, Langston spent two hours commuting by bus to and from the main campus daily to attend class and to use the library computers to complete his coursework. Through his studies he completed volunteer work at an adult daycare facility in Winter Park, which Langston says was an eye-opening experience as to other ways people can receive support through social work. After the UCF Downtown campus opened two years ago, Langston, who lives in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood, had easier access to the resources he needed to complete his courses, especially during the pandemic.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 going to help people regardless 麻豆精品 S� because I can show people kindness and do whatever I can to bring them a little joy 麻豆精品 S� but that 麻豆精品 S檚 probably why I love social work, for the chance to help others. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� LeRoy Langston, UCF student
麻豆精品 S淔or my final assignment, I 麻豆精品 S檓 using things I 麻豆精品 S檝e experienced at the coalition, where I saw the positive impact of their focus on addiction treatment, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hrough my community-engagement course I 麻豆精品 S檝e learned the importance of listening to the community to address their needs. All of these social work classes have given a label to the things I have seen going on throughout my life. I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to help people regardless 麻豆精品 S� because I can show people kindness and do whatever I can to bring them a little joy 麻豆精品 S� but that 麻豆精品 S檚 probably why I love social work, for the chance to help others. 麻豆精品 S�
As he prepares for job interviews, Langston is optimistic about his next steps. No matter where he lands he 麻豆精品 S檚 ready to pass on the life and educational lessons he 麻豆精品 S檚 learned to other 麻豆精品 S渟crappers. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淒on 麻豆精品 S檛 give up, keep pushing, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 learned it isn 麻豆精品 S檛 about perfection, it 麻豆精品 S檚 about progress. And I found out that progress for an addict is not using [drugs] because life can go one way and then another, but as long as you stay clean 麻豆精品 S� which is not an easy journey 麻豆精品 S� you 麻豆精品 S檒l be able to think clearly and take life as it comes. 麻豆精品 S�
