From Recovery to Opportunity: Finding Direction Through Education

The Out of the Ashes Bursary is a Day One Society initiative that supports individuals in recovery as they pursue education and build a path forward. By helping reduce financial barriers, the bursary creates space for people to focus on learning, stability, and long-term growth. For Rudy Braun, that support came at a time when he was looking for direction and something to work toward.

In 2022, after walking away from an abusive relationship and being laid off from work, Rudy was trying to figure out what came next. When he was offered an opportunity to step into millwright work, it made him pause. “Two things hit me at once,” he shares. “First, I knew I could not do it without a drink at that point in my life. Second, the work itself was exciting, and when I saw what a journeyman millwright was earning, it got my attention.”

He explains that while he had years of experience, he did not have formal recognition. “In that moment, I realized I wanted that proof. I wanted the pride that comes from earning a trade and being recognized for the work you can do,” he adds.

At the time, Rudy believed education would fix everything. Looking back, he sees it differently. “It did not fix everything, but it came very close to giving me what I needed. It provided structure, accountability, and direction. It gave me something to aim at and helped build momentum when I needed it most,” he says.

When he returned to school, he was living in a recovery program and managing limited financial resources. While he had found stability, he was still learning how to handle stress in a new way. What helped was knowing that support existed. “That knowledge allowed me to relax enough to focus on building routine and discipline instead of falling back into panic or old habits,” he shares.

Over time, Rudy focused on building balance in his life and creating routines that helped him stay grounded. Receiving the bursary made a clear difference. “I was able to pay off the schooling, books, and expenses that had built up. It cleared the financial pressure and gave me a clean path to move forward with confidence,” he adds.

This experience also changed how he sees his future. “I have to come first when making decisions about my life. If I am not balanced, healthy, and aware, I am not in a position to truly help anyone else,” he says. He also came to understand that support does not simply appear. “I have to look for it, ask for it, and be willing to use it when the time comes.”

Today, his idea of success is simple. “I want stability, routine, and peace of mind,” he shares. Some of his best days are ordinary ones, getting enough rest, working with his hands, and keeping life steady. “That kind of day feels like success to me. My goal is to live a life that is supported by my work, not to live only for work.”

As part of the bursary application, Rudy had to write his story, a process he describes as difficult but important. “It is like walking in the woods and having the feeling that something is following you,” he explains. “It feels safer to turn around because that path is familiar.” Writing forced him to stop and face that path. “It made me acknowledge the distance I had already travelled and the consequences of the choices I had made. It was not a turning point. It was a mile marker. It was the moment I realized I had come too far to turn around,” he adds.

When asked what he would say to someone unsure about moving forward, Rudy keeps it grounded.

“For everyone, the next step looks different,” he says. “What I believe instead is this. If something can be done, it is possible. And you are the only person who can decide whether it is worth trying. So take the step. Not because it is easy, and not because success is guaranteed, but because the effort itself matters.”

Through education and steady effort, Rudy is building a life shaped by balance, routine, and a clear sense of direction.  At Day One Society, stories like Rudy’s show what becomes possible when people have access to the right support at the right time and the space to move forward.