HEAD OF THE CLASS. ♪ >> THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I’M SITTING IN CLASS AND IT JUST WASHES OVER ME LIKE WAVES OF EMOTION. NICOLE: SITTING ON THE STEPS OVERLOOKING BROWN UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS, A MOMENT THAT JUNIOR CATHERINE HALEY SAYS FEELS SURREAL. IT IS THE FUTURE THAT SHE WAS SURE SHE WOULD NEVER SEE. >> I USED TO OVERDOSE IN MCDONALD’S BATHROOMS AND NOW I’M SITTING IN THIS CLASS WITH AMERICA’S FUTURE LEADERS. NICOLE: NOW 30, CATHERINE SAYS HER TAILSPIN INTO THE WORLD OF ADDICTION BEGAN IN CHILDHOOD. >> MY DAD DRANK A LOT WHEN I WAS A KID, HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC. HE ENDED UP GETTING SOBER, AND SOON AFTER, MY MOM GOT ADDICTED TO DRUGS. NICOLE: CATHERINE’S PARENTS WOULD FIND A PATH OUT OF ADDICTION, AT THE SAME TIME SHE >> AS I GOT OLDER, 18, I STARTED USING OPIATES. I STARTED TO GET SICK WHEN I COULDN’T GET THOSE PILLS. THAT’S HOW I EVENTUALLY PROGRESSED INTO HEROIN, AND FROM THERE, INTO FENTANYL. NICOLE: WHEN BOTH OF HER PARENTS PASSED AWAY WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF EACH OTHER, HER SPIRAL DOWNWARD WAS QUICK. >> PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ROCK-BOTTOM, I FOUND ROCK-BOTTOM AND I JUST KEPT DIGGING. I DIDN’T WANT TO STOP. I DIDN’T THINK I DESERVED TO BE CLEAN, TO LIVE. NICOLE: ARRESTED SEVERAL TIMES, SHE SAID SHE COULDN’T EVEN MAKE IT IN A HOUSE WHERE SUBSTANCE ABUSE WAS RAMPANT. >> I ENDED UP LIVING IN WHAT IS COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS A TRAP HOUSE. MY FRIEND, IT WAS ACTUALLY HER APARTMENT. ONE DAY SHE CAME TO ME AND SAID, YOU CAN’T BE HERE ANYMORE. I WAS SO TERRIBLE THAT EVEN OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE USING HEROIN DID NOT WANT TO BE AROUND ME. NICOLE: ON HER 26 BIRTHDAY, SHE ARRIVED AT REHAB. >> WITH MY HAIR MATTED LIKE A DOG, MY TEETH ALL BROKEN, HALF A PAIR OF GLASSES. NICOLE: WITH ALL OF HER BELONGINGS. A SUITCASE FULL OF BOOKS AND A TRASH BAG. BUT HER INTENTION WASN’T ABOUT GETTING SOBER. >> OF DONE THIS BEFORE, WHAT I CALL SPIN CYCLE. I’M GOING TO LEAVE AS SOON I CAN CONVINCE SOMEONE. NONE OF THAT HAPPEN. AFTER ABOUT SEVEN DAYS THEY WEANED ME OFF ALL THE MEDICATIONS THAT THEY GIVE YOU TO DETOX. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I WAS MAYBE 15 OR 16 YEARS OLD, MY MIND WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR. NICOLE: CLEAR ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT A DO OVER, CLEAN ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO A FRIEND WHO SHINED A LIGHT ON THAT SUITCASE FULL OF BOOKS. >> ALL I’M REALLY GOOD AT DOING IS READING. SO THEY SAID OK, WHY DON’T YOU BECOME A RESEARCHER, ALL THEY DO IS LEARN NEW THINGS. I LAUGHED AT THAT, THAT’S INSANE, THAT’S CRAZY. YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE SAID YOU SHOULD GO IN BE AN ASTRONAUT. HOWEVER, IT KIND OF DID STICK WITH ME, GOING TO SCHOOL. SO I WAS LIKE, I WILL GO AND SET UP FOR A CERTIFICATION AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. I DID VERY WELL, AND THAT SHOCKED ME, BECAUSE I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. NICOLE: SHE DID SO WELL, SHE GRADUATED AS THE VALEDICTORIAN. SO WELL THAT 13 SCHOOLS ACCEPTED HER, INCLUDING BOSTON UNIVERSITY ALUM BEGUN AND BROWN. SHE SAYS SHE WAS LUCKY TO FIND PEOPLE WHO LOOKED PAST HER PAST AND ENCOURAGE HER TO DO THE SAME. >> FOR SO LONG, I DISQUALIFIED MYSELF FROM SO MANY THINGS. I MENTIONED THAT I HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD. THIS IS WHERE I CAME FROM, BUT THIS IS WHAT I’VE LEARNED. NICOLE: HER STUDY AND PUBLIC HEALTH IS PERSONAL. HER JOURNEY TO THE IVY LEAGUE WASN’T EASY, FOR HOPE THAT WE ALL FIND SOME EMPATHY IN HER STORY, TO NEVER DISCOUNT THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING, TO NEVER DISCOUNT OURSELVES. >> MY LIFE DIDN’T BECOME PERFECT. BUT HERE’S THE THING, I’M ABLE TO CONFRONT LIFE TODAY BECAUSE I AM CLEAN. WE ALL HAVE TO GET UP AND DO THIS EVERY DAY, EVEN WHEN IT’S HARD. BUT WE JUST KEEP GETTING UP AND LOOKING AT THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THAT’S ALL I LIVE IN IS THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ANTHONY: IT IS QUITE A STORY, AND CATHERINE SAYS CLASSES ARE GOING WELL. SHE IS STILL A STUDENT AT BROWN AND SHE IS STEPPING INTO A ROLE AS A TEACHING ASSISTANT AS WELL. NICOLE: SHE IS EXPLORING EVERY AVENUE AND SAYS SHE HAS HE