Michael Hernandez

Michael Hernandez began his substance abuse when he was in sixth grade, when he smoked marijuana for the first time. Michael special transfer to that school was revoked for marijuana possession, so he began skipping school and failing classes, and thus began his descent into addiction.

After being kicked out of school, Michael fell into a depression, and began to turn to drugs and alcohol to escape reality. He says, “It started out with weed, then spiraled into psychedelics, and then deepened with any drug I could get my hands on.” He ended up going to inpatient care three times as a teenager with little success. After moving to foster care at 17, he began living independently shortly after.

He explains “I got my own apartment at 18, and I didn’t know a thing about life. I pursued the high life, and jail became a revolving door with petty crimes and other misdemeanors that just piled up against me. So much indescribable damage was done during this time that still affects me to this day.” Michael’s addiction would continue through his 20s. Through those first waves of his recovery journey, he was able to occasionally maintain personal relationships and hold down a job but then would get stuck back in the cycle once more.

His first rock-bottom revelation came when he was 27 years old: “I was under the influence, and I began reading the Bible. Something happened to me in that moment and I had an encounter with God, and my eyes were open to the realities of my life, and I felt the doom of where I was headed.” After 3 years of struggle, Michael went to jail for multiple infractions. In that period, he lost his job, car, apartment, and girlfriend, and would stay that way for another three years before once more encountering and surrendering to God in a jail cell.

When Michael was released, he connected with New Covenant church in Delano district, and from this connection his recovery journey rolled out, focusing on Jesus, addiction treatment, and receiving a formal education. He was able to obtain his high school diploma, then went on to receive his associates from WSU Tech, a first for his family, and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science at Wichita State University while completing a certificate program through Garden City Community College. Upon receiving his diploma, Michael began work at the Substance Abuse Center of Kansas, where he found his calling in being able to facilitate rehabilitation for substance abusers. From here, he was connected to his current role at the Sedgwick County Health Department, and his role at Center for Change. Upon arriving to Center for Change for the first time, he explains: “It felt like coming home. I adore the work they do there. They genuinely care about their clients and have a heart for what they do. Rather than checking the boxes and cycling people through, the Center for Change employees truly care and want their clients to succeed.”

After nine years of his recovery journey, Michael has found that he’s learned how to smile again, especially when spending time with his new bride, Stefani, and stepchildren, riding his Harley (dubbed Azul,) or strumming on his guitar. When Michael was in his darkest place with his addiction, someone said to him ‘Michael, God is with you.’ Those words had a profound impact on Michael and took root in growing into the life he has today. He wants those struggling with addiction to know: “Your life is meaningful and valuable and full of purpose, and that recovery is never easy, but always worth it.”