He was on heroin and wanted to die, then this happened
On a sticky-hot August morning, for his first day of college, Jesse Dalla Riva got to the classroom early.
He picked a seat in the second row, centered his laptop in front of him, placed a notebook to his right and waited.
The auditorium filled with backpacks and freshmen. Jesse's English professor offered advice on assignments and surviving the first year of college. Near the end of class, the professor asked students to share their fears.
Students across the room started raising their hands. Am I smart enough? Are the classes going to be hard? Will I like my dorm roommate?
Jesse never raised his hand. The 23-year-old etched notes on white paper and waited.
When class was over, he packed up and walked to the end of the hallway. He took a deep breath and sat on a purple sofa.
He had made it through his first college class.
“I was nervous,” he said, smiling and glancing at people walking by.
Some students stopped to sit on nearby chairs, passing time between classes on their cellphones.
Jesse spoke loudly. If someone heard him, that would be OK, he said. Maybe, it was meant to be, he said.
The cross he wore on a thin silver chain hung low on his chest. He never touched it, but he was mindful it was there.
Fate and faith are something Jesse talks about a lot. Without both, he thinks he wouldn’t be alive or in college.
A couple of years ago, Jesse was high on heroin. He lived in homeless shelters and then on the streets. He went to prison.
Strangers and family offered help, but he refused to listen. When he was offered drugs, he always said yes.
To learn the rest of Jesse's journey, click below:
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