The road to success is anything but easy, involving twists, turns and many barriers. For 2008 UD graduate, Vera Crowl, that road was blocked for 30 years.

Crowl didn't have the typical elementary school to high school to college path many UD students have followed. Hers involved 30 years of alcoholism, drug abuse, homelessness and violence.

Yet despite all odds, in January 2006 she received a scholarship for an undergraduate education at UD. In May 2008, she strode down that UD Arena aisle donned in cap and gown to receive her diploma. She currently is working on her master's degree in community counseling, which she plans to receive in 2011.

But no matter how great her triumph over addiction feels, Crowl will never forget those traumatic years in her life where her thoughts focused on surviving one more day, not graduating college. What started out as any college student's definition of "simple fun" turned into anything but.

"I started drugs in the '70s when it was the hippy era and everyone did it," she said. "Sure, it's fun. It was fun when I started, but it will get you. Everyone thinks, 'No I'm better than that,' but no we're not. It's Satan in a bottle, Satan in a spoon or Satan in a capsule."

After her addiction developed in 1970, success to Crowl meant finding her next fix, scavenging for food and watching silhouettes to keep safe because where she spent her days, it was dark all the time. She was homeless and alone.

"There's so little scarier than homelessness. I've had to fight, I've had a gun in every orifice of my body," she said. "I remember the first time I ate out of a trash can distinctly. I knew it would make me sick, but I was so hungry I had to in order to survive."

During much of those 30 years, Crowl didn't realize she wasn't alone. While there may have been no visible presence, the sheer fact that she had already survived 25 years living in the streets made her realize Jesus was watching her. Knowing He was there made her pathway to recovery a bit more clear.

"I realized I knew who was taking care of me and I constantly cried, because I didn't deserve it," she said. "I was by myself except for Him."

In 2001, five years after her revelation, she overcame her addictions. This year she will not only be one year from completing her masters, but on Feb. 25, 2010, Vera Crowl will be nine years sober.

Although her journey was tough, and the fight to stay substance free was painful, today Crowl's life motto is "I'm blessed all day, every day, no matter what and nothing else matters."

With everything she's been through, Crowl has no regrets for her past, because it brought her to this current, blessed stage in life. What does get to her is imagining any student on campus having to deal with these same experiences, having to fight each day in order to survive.

"When I'm on this campus I see so much beauty, so much beautiful youth and I sometimes see all I had wished I had tried to do," she said. "I want everyone to see the good that can come. I don't want anybody to go through what I did. I would rather take your pain than have you go through it, because I know I can do it, but you may not be able to. You might die. I want all of you to stay strong and be what they were put here to be."

To get help with any substance abuse problems, contact UD's ADAPT organization which helps students by providing information and help on reducing usage and overcoming the barriers of addiction. Counseling services are also offered in Gosiger Hall.