When hitting rock bottom, it can feel like life has spun so far out of control that things will never get back on track. However, once you hit the bottom, the only place to go is up.
After a rough childhood led a Washington State woman down a path of drug abuse and crime, she thought she would never be able to reach her true potential. However, after reaching rock bottom and fighting for a second chance, she’s living proof that people don’t have to be defined by their mistakes…
A Runaway
After being born to parents who struggled with substance abuse problems, growing up in poverty, and being the victim of sexual violence as a little girl, 1 Washington State native felt she had no choice but to run away from home when she was 13 years old.
Life On The Streets
While she had nowhere to go and no one to help her, the girl knew that a life on her own was better than living in a toxic environment with her parents. Over the following years, the girl spent periods homeless and living on the street…
A Young Mother
By the time the girl was 15, however, she had fallen pregnant and became a mother even though she was just a child herself. Despite everything working against her, she tried to put herself and her child on a better path by getting a job as a nurse.
Unresolved Trauma
After becoming a registered nurse, the young mother worked as a nurse for 11 years. She had gotten her life back on track for the first time, but sadly, it didn’t last long before her life was derailed, yet again, since she never dealt with the trauma of her past…
Self-Medicated
During her time working as a nurse, Tarra Simmons had access to endless prescription medications and became addicted to prescription drugs as well as methamphetamine. According to Simmons, the drug addiction had started as a way to self-medicate her depression.
Spinning Out Of Control
The drug use quickly spun out of control, as did her life. In 2001, Simmons was convicted of second-degree assault. In 2011, she went back to prison for another 20 months after being convicted of organized retail theft, unlawful possession of a firearm and drug possession…
A Prison Sentence
According to Simmons, she would have people shoplift for her and would sell the stolen goods to fund her meth addiction. Overall, Simmons was arrested 3 times and spent more than 3 years total behind bars in a state prison.
Reaching Rock Bottom
Being behind bars should have been rock bottom for the mother, however, during her time in prison, Simmons reached a new low when her marriage ended, her house went into foreclosure, and she went through 2 bankruptcies…
A Glimmer Of Hope
Simmons felt completely hopeless, but after reaching rock bottom, the only place to go is up. While going through some of the hardest days of her life in prison, Tarra found a glimmer of hope from the lawyers and law students that would come to her prison to provide legal aid and teach inmates about their rights.
A Helping Hand
“A lot of lawyers came alongside me and helped me with all of my legal issues,” Tarra said about the lawyers who came to help her while she was in the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Purdy, Pierce County…
An Inspiration
“All I needed was someone to give me a seed of hope,” Tarra explained. “They empowered me to think I could learn the law. I thought my life was over. But these law students really inspired me.” Tarra clung to that small glimmer of hope and decided to get her life on track for good.
A Step In The Right Direction
After being released from prison, Tarra got a job at Burger King and committed herself to her recovery to make sure she didn’t relapse and eventually end up back in prison. She also made the first step in achieving her new dream…
Following Her Dreams
While in prison, Tarra was inspired by all the lawyers that helped her along the way and dreamed of becoming a lawyer herself so that she could help rehabilitate other former convicts. Once out of prison, Tarra applied to the Seattle University School of Law and was honest about her criminal past.
Life In Law School
Tarra, who was now remarried in a healthy relationship and living with her son and stepdaughter, was accepted into the program and would commute about an hour and a half to 2 hours each way to make it to class from her home in Kitsap County…
Keeping Faith
“There were days I was taking the ferry and exhausted and studying so hard and my kids were acting out and my husband was frustrated,” Tarra said. “I would do some reading, thinking, ‘Just for today, if I stay on the right track, things will get better.’”
A Hard-Earned Degree
Things did eventually get better. After working tirelessly for years, Tarra earned a 3.7 GPA and graduated from Seattle University School of Law with honors and was awarded the dean’s medal. She also was awarded a Skadden Fellowship, a prestigious honor given to a law-school graduate focused on public-interest law…
The Last Obstacle
However, Tarra still had 1 more major obstacle to overcome. She had graduated with a law degree, but her past still posed a problem after the Washington State Bar Association’s Character and Fitness Board recommended Simmons not be allowed to take the bar exam and get a law license. The panel argued that she posed a risk of reoffending and was a risk to the honor and dignity of the law.
The Supreme Court Weighs In
Tarra refused to just give up and appealed the decision. “Obviously, my record is bad,” she said. “But I have done everything in my power to prove that I am not what it says I am. Our character should be defined by how we respond to the mistakes that we’ve made.” Eventually, the state Supreme Court agreed with Tarra and ruled she could take the bar exam. “I never imagined that my case would go to the state Supreme Court and be the first one in 30 years that would break open barriers for other people,” Tarra said…
Passion From Experience
“One’s past does not dictate one’s future,” the Supreme Court explained in their ruling. “It is precisely Tarra’s lived experiences and the way in which she has made restitution and rebuilt her life that make her such a powerful and passionate advocate for justice-involved individuals who are seeking to re-enter society,” added Annette Clark, dean of the Seattle University law school.
The End And The Beginning
The 40-year-old ended up passing the bar exam and was sworn into the Washington State Bar on June 16, 2018. “This day is the finale of a really long and hard journey that started when I was in prison. When I was at my lowest moment, I never thought that it would be this amazing,” Tarra said. “I hope this sends a message to other people that you’re never defined by your worst mistakes. You can keep coming back, there’s always a way…you can still achieve whatever it is you want.” Now, Tarra plans to work with people re-entering society after prison. “The law is powerful for those who have the information. I wanted to be someone who bridges that gap.”
Ex-Con Overcomes Rough Past To Work On Other Side Of Legal System is an article from: LifeDaily