Stories of Hope
ARCHway believes in recovery from the disease of addiction.

Liz Connors, her Journey of Recovery & Work in the Field
Interviewed by Emily Jung
Liz Connors has her Masters in Social Work from St. Louis University. She is currently working at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health on the Connecting the DOTS Project, where she strives to transform interactions between first responders and people who use drugs, as well as ...
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Wilbur Smith, Journey in Recovery
Interviewed by Emily Jung
Today, Wilbur Smith enjoys every second of the life he is living, because he can live it. Whereas seven years ago, in the midst of active addiction, he wasn’t truly living. He was just trying to get through each minute, hour, and day. He was struggling ...
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Chase Martinson
Interviewed by Emily Jung
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year… [and] 1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression,” (CDC.gov).
People with ...
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Don Willey’s story as a Caregiver
Interviewed by By Emily Jung
Don Willey is the Business Manager for Laborers’ Local 110 in St. Louis. He joined the local in 1984 and worked for various contractors such as Fred Weber, McCarthy Brothers, K & S, J.S. Alberici, and Tarlton. In 1999 he joined the local staff as ...
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Fred Rottnek, MD, MAHCM
Interviewed by Emily Jung
View the interview video at the bottom of this page.
Dr. Rottnek is a Professor and the Director of Community Medicine at Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine and the Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Program.
He is a graduate of the Saint Louis University ...
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Eric Gentry
Sharing his Journey of Recovery
As Eric Gentry was interviewed, anyone observing could see the heartache that he has endured as well as the triumph he has felt throughout his recovery, leading him to the life he enjoys today. His tone and mannerisms changed drastically from the beginning to the ...
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Heidi Schmeling
A Beacon of Hope for Others
Heidi is in long term recovery with a sober birthday of December 26, 2012.
Today, seven years later, she is working in a career she loves as an interior designer, is a wonderful mother to her son, Oliver, and is surrounded by a support system of family and ...
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Dan & Jan Stuckey, Journey as Caregivers
Dan & Jan Stuckey Share their Journey as Caregivers in Recovery
Interviewed by Emily Jung
One cannot fathom what it is like to be the parent or sibling of a loved one in active addiction. The hurt of a caregiver is extensive and isolating. They often suffer in silence, unsure ...
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Colton Baker
Colton Baker is a certified peer specialist with five years of sustained recovery.
He works with ARCHway Institute, Recovery House, and the EPICC Project (Engaging Patients in Care Coordination) in order to help others struggling with the disease of addiction. Colton is an advocate for medically assisted treatment, transitional living, ...
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Marci Smith, An Advocate for Others in Recovery
Marci Smith shares her Journey of Recovery
Marci Smith, a certified peer specialist with the Assisted Recovery Centers of America, is in long-term recovery and clean for over five years. She has been described as a statistical anomaly because the success rate for women is not high. To have gone ...
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Donate to a
Stories of HOPE Sponsor
We Thank These Stories of HOPE Sponsors!
These sponsors are “team fundraising” to cover the costs of the Stories of HOPE. If you would like to help, please use the donation form on this page, designating which team you wish to support.
ARCHway Institute is also looking for 2 more sponsors for this project. Sponsorships are $5,000 and can be paid over a two year period. Sponsors will be recognized, including their logo, on all electronic and printed materials.
For more information on sponsoring, contact Dan Stuckey at Dan.Stuckey@thearchwayinstitute.org