DULUTH, Minn. — Brittany Blue’s journey to graduation from Lake Superior College looks a little different from the average student.
Her first step in the world of higher education started in 2017, but as a single parent working two jobs, she soon found the load of full-time classes too much.
“I ended up passing two classes, but then withdrawing from two, and then I fell back into my addiction,” Blue said.
Blue’s substance use kept her out of education and instead led her to a “criminal lifestyle” for a few years. She was eventually arrested in 2021 for drug possession and sentenced to 92 months. Little did she know at the time that the arrest would start her down the path to graduation in May.
At the Minnesota Women’s Correctional Facility in Shakopee, Blue heard about the opportunity to earn college credits while she served her time.
“In prison, you have to have a job. So I looked into it and found out that education could be considered my job,” she said. “I was nervous and scared because I thought all these other women are so much smarter than me, because I haven’t been in school for so long. But I continued to persevere.”
By taking a few classes at a time, Blue was able to earn more than half of the credits needed for an associate’s degree.
Because of the nature of her crime, Blue was accepted into the Challenge Incarceration Program after she’d served 18 months. CIP is a structured program that treats substance use disorders and helps people develop personal discipline and improve physical and mental well-being. Successful participants also see a reduction in their incarceration time.
The only downside for Blue was that she couldn’t continue her studies while participating in CIP. But it led to her release in 2023, when she decided to return to Lake Superior College in Duluth.
“I was a little worried at first about judgment,” Blue said. “But I faced that fear and instead used my past as a strength. I was always upfront with my professors about being a woman in recovery. And by then, I’d learned to love myself enough to talk about it. And the professors there would meet you where you’re at.”
This time around, Blue took two classes a semester so she could continue to balance the demands of her life outside the classroom. She’d take one class in person on campus and one online. She said she got a lot of guidance from her adviser, Sherry Dalager, which helped her figure out her options.
“If you have a good adviser, that makes a really big difference, just the genuineness of her,” Blue said. “Every time I had an issue, I would talk to her and she would direct me through some options in different categories, and I would think it through and make that decision on my own. But Sherry showed me what options were there.”
Blue also credits the support she received from her husband, Brandon Blue, for helping her along the way. Brandon was also incarcerated for drug possession around the same time she was, and said the two made a game plan to come out on the other side better than when they went in.
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“We were able to execute the game plan and make ourselves better,” Brandon said. “We learned to take care of ourselves and go after what we want. Brittany has her degree now, and nobody can take that away. That’s something she accomplished when she learned to invest in herself.”
What’s next for Brittany? She has a day job at a nonprofit organization and plans to attend Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet this fall to pursue a degree in chemical dependency counseling. She said she wants to help other people achieve their goals.
“If you’re someone struggling in addiction, there is hope in education. Don’t give up on yourself,” Blue said. “There were plenty of times where I wanted to just quit and be on red tag, where you don’t have a job and you just serve your time. But it’s worth it if you keep pushing through.”
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