Road to recovery on Owatonna

OWATONNA — Rob Chemberlin got a rise out of his students on Thursday when he asked them to give their own analysis of American culture following a lesson on world history.

But the discourse wasn’t one occurring in a traditional school, instead Chemberlin was working with students who are recovering from alcohol and drug addictions at the Recovery School of Southern Minnesota.

“Everybody who walks into a classroom brings their own history and their own sense of things,” said Chemberlin. “Book learning is important, but you have to keep in mind that each kid has their own past, and you want them to make a connection in the classroom.”

As part of the small staff at the Recovery School, Chemberlin and his counterpart, Bernard Hall, both teach a broad range of subjects. But they also hone in on the success of their students — students that need more support than they can get in a traditional classroom.

Kayla Unger, an junior at the Recovery School, said pursuing her education in a recovery-oriented environment has played a huge role in her progress. While she was enrolled at Kasson-Mantorville High School, she was pressured to continue using. But now she is coming back from the use of drugs ranging from alcohol, opal, ecstasy and cocaine, and she said she has been in treatment for three years.

“I’ll be clean for a year in October,” said Unger.

Unger said it’s not just the teachers and other staff who provide support at the school, but she also knows she can turn to the chemical dependency counselor when she stumbles along the road to recovery. And often, because she is surrounded by students who are committed to their recovery, she can also turn to her peers for support.

“I get along with everyone here really well,” said Unger. “The teachers and the students just really stand behind you 100 percent.”

Brooke Lange, a ninth-grader at the school, said she transferred from Pease Academy in Minneapolis. She said while her recovery has ups and downs, she knows she can turn to the staff at the school for help.

In addition to the focus on recovery, and the education offered in the classrooms, students also build a supportive community within the school walls.

“We want a supportive environment where students are able to help each other out,” said Director Gary Braun. “We have the recovery component and the education component, but we’re also working at how to help students live a successful adult life.”

Students meet for an hour in the morning each day to talk about their recovery and build their relationships, and they even have the opportunity to take basic skills classes during their day. A transitions course, new to the program this year, shows students how to translate their experience in recovery to life after graduation.

Though the school is located in Owatonna, most of the students come from other cities. Among the cities that students call their hometown are Ellendale, Blooming Prairie, Kasson, Faribault, Albert Lea and Rochester. Only a couple of students actually call Owatonna home.

Randy Olson, a senior who was referred to the school by his treatment center, has just one quarter to go before successfully completing his education. He said the atmosphere was indispensable.

“I go to my old school and I would be hooking up with my using friends right away. Coming to this school, all the kids here have the same problem.”

Hayley Waalkens, a junior, is attending the Recovery School for her first year, but already she can see a difference.

“It’s like, you have people that understand that you’re trying to recover,” said Waalkens.

Melissa Kaelin can be reached at 444-2372.

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