School doesn’t pause for recovery, at least not for students enrolled at Fortis Academy. They prove daily that sobriety and academic success go hand-in-hand at Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) public recovery high school.
This September, as communities across the country observe National Recovery Month — a time to support treatment and rehabilitation practices for those with alcohol or substance abuse disorders — the campus is marking a milestone of its own. For the first time, enrollment is free for school districts within Harris County.
“Superintendent James Colbert Jr. didn’t want tuition to be an obstacle for the districts,” Principal Travita Godfrey explained. “In speaking with other superintendents, they mentioned the hardship of the tuition plus transportation. Removing that barrier makes Fortis Academy more accessible to students in the city who need assistance they might not otherwise receive.”
Behind the decision are stories of perseverance by teenagers, like Isabella Alvarato and Wilbur Alvarez, determined to reclaim their futures and educators eager to walk beside them on the journey.
Alvarato was born in Mexico before her parents immigrated to the United States to seek medical treatment for her mother’s cancer diagnosis. She was exposed to marijuana as an 11-year-old when she accidentally ingested an edible that belonged to a family member. The experience left a lasting impression that sparked her interest in substances.
“I didn’t know what I had taken, so I started panicking and running around the yard,” she recalled. “But after that, I would smoke sometimes in middle school, and it got worse when I went to high school.”
Feeling the societal pressure to meet beauty standards, she continued using marijuana and experimented with hard drugs because they often curbed her appetite. Last spring, Aldine Independent School District administrators found her possessing contraband on campus and referred the junior to Highpoint School.
When the new academic year began in August, representatives determined that daily group therapy sessions at Fortis, in which students discuss how to make positive changes in their lives, were better suited for Alvarato’s needs. She agreed.
“Group therapy has really helped me, honestly,” she said. “We talk about how we feel and stuff. You get your journal to write stuff down, and Ms. Kesha (Recovery Coach Lakesha Hemphill) gives us good advice because she’s been through the same thing we have.”
By removing tuition, the school has reached additional students at a critical time in their lives. Fortis began the academic year with a record enrollment of more than 25 students and unprecedented requests for seats from districts eager for support.
“We got new partnerships out of this deal because we were able to re-engage some districts that have been dormant for several years because the financial commitment was too difficult,” Godfrey said. “We are also able to provide support a lot quicker. Without that financial component, districts can get contracts approved and students the help they need expeditiously.”
Like Alvarato, Alvarez also started using drugs in middle school. He thought it was cool and quickly found himself chasing the euphoric feeling provided by THC that sports, friends or hobbies were unable to match.
“At first it was just for fun, but then I couldn’t find that feeling anywhere, and so I kept smoking,” Alvarez said. “I’m here because I want to change my life, I’m not trying to be with the crowd anymore, I want to be separate.”
This year, he is no stranger to Fortis Academy’s intervention techniques. Alvarez spent most of last year working with campus staff to obtain and maintain sobriety. He found the school’s culinary elective to be a huge help in building his self-esteem, creating new friendships and learning to cope with his emotions. Alvarez was instrumental in the program’s success. He helped cater events like the Special Schools division update and served Thanksgiving meals to HCDE board members.
“Cooking helped me a lot,” Alvarez explained. “We mess around and have fun, but we also get to meet new people and learn how to make a lot of dishes. The food is my favorite part, and being at Fortis has helped me through everything.”
Alvarez relapsed over the summer but described feeling immediate regret. He renewed his pledge at the start of the semester and is just over one month sober. He and Alvarato’s experiences remind us that recovery is not a straight line, but a journey filled with progress, setbacks and perseverance.
Fortis Academy recognizes those steps as part of the healing process. Throughout National Recovery Month, staff celebrated student accomplishments with field trips and new experiences to remind them that their future is bright.
“We want our students to know that we care about them, whether they’ve been sober for two hours or 20 years. It’s important,” said Godfrey. “People don’t tend to understand that once you’re sober, you’re in recovery for the remainder of your life. When life happens, you must have the strategies, tools and the support system to lean on so those old habits don’t come to mind anymore. But that’s what Recovery Month is about, and that is what we try to provide to every student who walks through those doors – love and support.”
Learn more about Fortis Academy and other campuses by visiting the HCDE Special Schools website.