LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky has seen an increase over the last year of deaths because of overdoses. A serious problem, that a group of students is making their mission to decrease. 

What You Need To Know

  • Sylvia Kidwell has started a group to support students in recovery at BCTC

  • Kidwell is using her second chance to make an impact

  • The group is called Addicts and Allies for Education

  • Kentucky has seen an increase of overdose related deaths over the last year

Sylvia Kidwell, a student at Bluegrass Community Technical College (BCTC), struggled with addiction for 16 years. 

“My kids have been in foster care. I’ve been to jail, I’ve been to rehab, I have done a lot of things that I am not proud of. But that is not who I am,” Kidwell said.

Changing her life around, Kidwell has gone back to college to attain her degree, but is leaving an impact along the way.

“I went to the student organization’s page and was looking for a group to join and there just really wasn’t anything that fit me,” Kidwell said.

Kidwell started an organization called Addicts and Allies for Education, a support system for students in recovery.

“Research has shown that for someone in recovery, one of the most important factors is a solid support system,” Kidwell said.

Kidwell says when an addict goes into recovery, they lose everything. From people they hung out with, to changing the places they go. Everyone starts from scratch. 

“And a lot of people do want to go back to school, but as a person in recovery, you get this feeling that you don’t belong in a place like this,” Kidwell said.

According to the CDC, the United States on average has increased by 20.6% over a 12-month period in drug overdoses between June 2020 and June 2021, with Kentucky increasing by 35%. 

Within that 12-month period, Kentucky reported 2,300 drug overdose deaths. 

Kidwell hopes through this group she can show Kentuckians in recovery their worth. 

“If you take a $100 bill and you crumple it up in your hand and you throw it across the room and you stomp on it and you put it through the works, it is still nonetheless a $100 bill,” Kidwell said.

Using her life lessons as a resource to create a second chance for others, Kidwell says this group will become a positive change and resource for those students in need. 

The Addicts and Allies for Education organization will host a Remembrance Walk in March. They hope to bring awareness of recovery and addiction outside of the college and into the community.  

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