‘I Feel I Have a Lot to Offer Veterans’

After returning home from a deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, Army veteran Sam George fell into drug addiction. The discipline, self-reliance and structure he established for himself from his time in service, he felt, had dissipated.

According to the VA, more than 2.8 million veterans in 2023 reported having suffered from a substance abuse disorder within the past year. More than half of veterans suffering from PTSD are reported to have substance abuse disorders.

Knowing that he and many of his comrades were struggling, George took it upon himself to seek rehabilitation and pursue a career that would allow him to help other veterans suffering from addiction.

With financial assistance from the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship,” George completed an associate's degree in psychology and has recently graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a bachelor’s degree in addiction studies.

“The process of applying for this scholarship was honestly much easier than most,” George said. “The questions I was asked were about me and my military experience and how that experience plays into furthering my education. I am going back to school 15 years after finishing high school, and I felt comfortable with the questions asked in this application.”

George has his eyes set on working with homeless and/or addicted veterans.

“I feel that I have a lot to offer other veterans who are going through the things I have conquered,” George said. “I have that lived experience. I want to help them gain some sense of hope for the future.”

George currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is looking forward to assisting his fellow brothers and sisters-in-arms.