John DeLisa is grateful for a lot of things the past few years, but foremost is that he survived 麻豆精品 S� and will graduate Thursday morning at UCF with a Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 of Fine Arts in musical theatre.
Drugs and alcohol coupled with a bipolar diagnosis led to his hospitalization before he enrolled at UCF, which is where he said he turned his life around 麻豆精品 S� and has set about helping others avoid what he endured.
麻豆精品 S淯CF gave me the best second chance I 麻豆精品 S檝e ever had, 麻豆精品 S� said the Oviedo resident who grew up in Palm Harbor.
DeLisa 麻豆精品 S檚 first attempt at college life was as a music student at FSU, but things didn 麻豆精品 S檛 go as planned.
麻豆精品 S淢y world view was not that great, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淚 was medicating myself with drugs and drinking, and not showing up at classes. If I did, I was messed up 麻豆精品 S� drinking every day, stealing beer from my roommates, writing bad checks to drug dealers.
麻豆精品 S淟uckily I had family to pick me up. 麻豆精品 S�
He said he was about to be kicked out of the FSU music program, so instead he took a medical withdrawal from the university and was hospitalized for treatment in Palm Harbor, where in 2011 he started his road back to the life he wanted. He resumed classes at a community college, became active in a substance-abuse recovery program and worked part-time at a theatre to get back on path.
When it came time to take the next step in 2012, 麻豆精品 S淯CF was the No. 1 school recommended by FSU 麻豆精品 S� and it 麻豆精品 S檚 just two hours from home, 麻豆精品 S� DeLisa said. 麻豆精品 S淚 met with [associate professor] Earl Weaver and it sold me. The campus is beautiful, the area is great, and it felt like the right fit. FSU wrote a nice letter of recommendation for me. 麻豆精品 S�
Since then he has blossomed on stage and off.
He has had a leading role in a play every semester he 麻豆精品 S檚 been at UCF and, as a helping hand for others going through similar substance-abuse challenges, last year worked with a friend and UCF Health Services to help start the Students Supporting Recovery (SSR) program.
麻豆精品 S淛ohn set an example for other students in recovery to be proud of their recovery and make the most of their college experience. SSR is an example of living the 麻豆精品 S榗ollege 麻豆精品 S� life without alcohol or other drugs, 麻豆精品 S� said Tom Hall, director of Alcohol and Other Drug Programming at UCF. 麻豆精品 S淪tudents in recovery attend parties, go to football games and celebrate holidays. The only difference is they have a substance-free college experience. This is an important message聽for UCF students who think they can 麻豆精品 S檛 have fun without drinking. 麻豆精品 S�
The group is open to all students, those in recovery and those who support recovery. Next year the members plan to host on-campus sober tailgate parties and other events throughout the year. Following a request from the new organization, UCF Housing and Residence Life will offer to place recovering students together in housing starting this fall.
麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 only so much you can do on your own, 麻豆精品 S� DeLisa said about the hurdles to stay clean. 麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e at a dangerous spot, but once you know you have a place to belong you don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to drop out and essentially start your life over again. If I can stop one student from going through what I went through, it would be worth it. 麻豆精品 S�
For his Honors in the Major thesis, he started the nonprofit Mailmen Theatre Group with fellow student Tommy Hall, and the two wrote a play about recovery that they plan to tour at schools, recovery groups and worship centers around Florida. Hall is the friend who also helped start the campus recovery group.
麻豆精品 S淚 was praying about it and I wanted to combine my love of theatre with my love of helping, 麻豆精品 S� DeLisa said. The play, 麻豆精品 S淎 Way Back, 麻豆精品 S� is the similar story of a young addict in college who finds his hope in recovery and struggles to get back. The project, which he calls 麻豆精品 S渄rama therapy, 麻豆精品 S� received a $10,000 Clinton Global Initiative grant.
麻豆精品 S淭hat was part of my journey, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淚 was always going out and getting drunk. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 really know how else to fit in. 麻豆精品 S�
While at UCF, DeLisa has performed in 麻豆精品 S淭he Music Man, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淩agtime, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淭he Pajama Game 麻豆精品 S� and other plays, but he said his favorite role was the nervous and intense Moritz in 麻豆精品 S淪pring Awakening, 麻豆精品 S� a story set in Germany in the late 19th century.
It was his favorite part, he said, 麻豆精品 S渂ecause it was about a troubled young man who wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 very good at school and didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know where to fit in. It was very cathartic. 麻豆精品 S� DeLisa said that after every performance he would text a family member or friend to thank them for helping him get his life back on track.
麻豆精品 S淛ohn is an excellent student and a talented theatre artist. That says it all, 麻豆精品 S� said Mark Routhier, an assistant professor of directing and acting. 麻豆精品 S淚f he had not come to know who he is and accept the changes he needed to make, he would have frittered away his education and his talent. 麻豆精品 S�
Routhier was so impressed with DeLisa 麻豆精品 S檚 devotion to the craft that the young actor earned an internship beginning this summer at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, where Routhier is also director of new play development.
For the grateful graduate, his way through recovery 麻豆精品 S� theatre 麻豆精品 S� is the same as his way into the future, which is summed up in the Winston Churchill quote DeLisa attaches at the bottom of his email: “Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about.”
John DeLisa is scheduled to graduate during UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Arts & Humanities commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 1, at the CFE Arena. For details about all of this week’s ceremonies, go to /news/ucf-celebrates-graduation-6-ceremonies-may-1-3/.