Georgia Southern University celebrates recovery with new campus resource fair
“Recovery is real,” said Julia Curiel, Georgia Southern University Center for Addiction Recovery (CAR) program coordinator.
That’s the message she and other speakers will share with the Georgia Southern community at the upcoming Georgia Southern Recovers Picnic and Resource Fair. The event takes place on Thursday, Sept. 18, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Fielding D. Russell Union Rotunda on the Statesboro Campus.
The event will feature information tables from 20 local organizations and Georgia Southern departments offering and supporting addiction and recovery resources for students. Attendees can also enjoy free pizza, refreshments and testimonials from individuals with recovery experiences. Live music will be provided from Rachel Elkins, a Georgia Southern student and member of local band, The Ripleys.
The goal is to raise awareness of the University’s collegiate recovery program, True Blue Recovery at the CAR. Organizers said the event will celebrate recovery and emphasize that it is not only possible but also relevant and accessible for college students.
“The recovery community in Statesboro is thriving, and we want to showcase and celebrate that recovery is real and possible for everyone, including college students,” said Curiel.
For organizers, the picnic is more than an opportunity to share resources and promote recovery. It reflects decades of research and program development that have supported many students in recovery. Research from the National Library of Medicine has shown that students who participate in collegiate recovery programs tend to achieve higher GPAs, graduate at higher rates and benefit from a strong support system that reinforces their recovery journey.
“The reason collegiate recovery programs work is because they offer students a supportive peer community and an alternative social environment, which is one that helps them navigate a campus culture where substance use can be a part of social life,” said Robert Bohler, Ph.D., CAR executive director and Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health assistant professor. “In our program, we create opportunities for students to build meaningful connections and positive social support.”
Part of what makes the True Blue Recovery program successful is that it is shaped by people who have personally benefited from it. Both Curiel and Bohler are in long-term recovery. Nearly 10 years ago, Bohler found the help he needed through True Blue Recovery, along with a passion for developing programs that assist students when they need it most. Curiel, a Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist, said her years of work have given her the honor of witnessing many people transform their lives in recovery.
“The state of Georgia is actually leading the way nationally in the recovery movement in regards to people getting in recovery, sustaining recovery and advocating for recovery publicly,” said Curiel. “We have done a lot of work in this state to make that known to the larger population. I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
The resource fair is funded by a grant from the Georgia Council for Recovery and the Georgia Department for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
CAR, part of the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, provides recovery support services to college students in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. The center also works to increase the knowledge and understanding of addiction and recovery among students, researchers, clinicians and the rural community through education and translational research. For more information on CAR, visit this webpage.
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