Life as a graduate has been all about catching up and adjusting. Coming from the lowliest state of being years ago, there is so much work to do. Time refuses to wait, so the demands on my life have increased.
      
But as a Nazareth graduate, I’ve become somebody who does not run from such situations and even sees them as opportunities to not only grow, but also to sustain my sobriety. Alongside the newfound stress tolerance that I’ve acquired, I see responsibilities in a different light. The ethics and philosophies I’ve absorbed from the program are what have set a new basis for the direction and regulation of my actions. I am studying and working as a staff at the same time – pretty tough for somebody who, in the past, lived and pushed drugs in the slums around my neighborhood and who has been out of school for years. But it is morally virtuous to serve. Aside from that, I am actualizing my potentials. I gain wisdom and balance in my work. And it is there that I find meaning, where I get to maintain my sobriety and live in accordance to God’s will.
      
Nazareth is a way of life. So in my everyday life, I am aggressive and at the same time prudent, knowing that danger lurks in every corner. I am gentle and at the same time firm, for in order for me to become a great giver, I should be a combination of both. People ought not be surprised by the giving ways I learned in Nazareth. I see the way I live as a drug-free lifestyle and a source of personal growth. It is the practice of being “Christ-like.” Every man has a distinctive goal to achieve and a function to fulfill in life. My role model is Jesus Christ. Though I can never be as proficient as He is in loving, I know that His way is the Nazarene way, and it shall be my way for the rest of my life.

- Perl

Nazareth is a symbol of what humankind should be. True, honest and compassionate. It is a place where I faced myself and understood the purpose of my life. It was an amazing learning experience that I will never forget. I was once lost and because of Nazareth, I found my way.

- Alex

"I feel secure knowing there's a place I can go back to."

- Norman
(now is a full time employee working as a licensed pharmacist)


"People always conform to a structure. But as a graduate you learn from what you have gone through. It's a never ending battle to live the right way, without compromising your sobriety. Life is the way you want it to be. As they say 'Life can only be understood backwards but lived forward'."

- Jon
(now works as a full time employee in the Human Resources Department of his company)


"Nazareth is my second life. It is where I found myself. It gave me a chance to reunite with my family. It's taught me so much…that is why I will never forget my stay there."

- Joel
(is a part time college student and helps manage his family's business)