She left university because of a drinking problem. Now sober, she's a valedictorian
CBC
A Nova Scotia woman who dropped out of university a decade ago because of her alcohol use will be the valedictorian at one of Saint Mary's University's upcoming convocations.
Laura Eamon, an economics major who will be graduating with summa cum laude distinction, will be speaking at one of the commerce faculty's convocations on Wednesday, May 17. She's the valedictorian for the A to L ceremony.
"It doesn't matter how old you are, what has happened in your past, your sunk costs, how many years you spent doing the status quo, you can shake it up, you can change course," said Eamon, 29.
Her first stint at university that began in 2011 lasted just over a year. Her time at Carleton University in Ottawa included several failed classes and scraping by in others, blackout drinking sessions, and being taken from a residence party to hospital by paramedics.
After dropping out, she moved home and continued drinking, couch-surfed and worked a series of jobs in retail and reception when she wasn't calling in sick for the day.
Eamon has been sober since Nov. 9, 2013.
Since then, she got a diploma in medical office administration and started working in the health-care system. Longing for a bigger challenge, she applied to Saint Mary's University in 2017 and started attending the Halifax university.
Last year was a busy one for Eamon, she landed a Frank H. Sobey scholarship worth $35,000, one of nine given out annually to undergraduate business students in Atlantic Canada.
She also got married and is a stepmom to two kids.
Besides being an active volunteer, she's spoken frequently about her sobriety journey, including on a podcast and at an alcohol policy forum in Nova Scotia.
"It's really awesome that I feel secure in my sobriety enough to talk about it a lot more," she said.
The application process for becoming the valedictorian included writing a speech, submitting transcripts and auditioning before a panel.
Eamon learned by phone in late March that she had been chosen. She cried when she got the phone call.
"The culmination of all of my time at Carleton, at Nova Scotia Community College, at Saint Mary's, just like everything coming together," she said.