Canaan, CT – Mountainside treatment center awards the first of its newly created Brighter Future Scholarship to Amy Beddoe, Trumbull, CT resident and student at St. Joseph High School (SJHS). The addiction treatment provider created the scholarship program in fall 2021 to foster awareness of addiction among youth and inspire students who have been impacted by substance use disorders to share their stories.
In her application essay, Amy tells how her late brother, Jake, was poisoned by prescription pills laced with fentanyl, and the impact his death had on her family. Fentanyl is appearing across the country, mixed into not only street drugs but also counterfeit prescription pills like Xanax. The drug has become increasingly abused due to its high potency and cheap cost. According to recent data from the CDC, in the 12-year period ending September 2021, about two-thirds of overdose deaths nationwide were linked to synthetic opioids, like fentanyl. In Connecticut, the statistic is even more alarming with fentanyl involved in 85% of all overdose deaths.
For the last two years, after her brother’s passing, Amy and her family have worked to raise awareness of substance use and accidental drug overdoses through press releases and social media posts. As an advocate, she informs people to only purchase prescription pills from authorized sources and only as prescribed by medical professionals. To further Jake’s legacy, Amy and her family started the Jake Beddoe Fund to continue supporting his passions, such as the Peace Corps and children’s literacy in the Caribbean.
“All across the state, we are witnessing the deleterious effects of the opioid epidemic. To prevent more people from having to struggle with addiction, it is imperative that we educate our youth and empower them to make the right decisions,” says Andre Basso, Chief Executive Officer of Mountainside. “We awarded Amy the first scholarship because her determination to turn a tragedy into community activism greatly impressed us. We value her as a young leader in a movement to reduce the stigma of addiction.”
Mountainside hopes the Brighter Future Scholarship can provide financial support to even more teens who have been impacted by addiction as well as spark conversations across communities. There is still time to apply by the March 31st deadline. For more information about the scholarship and to apply, visit: https://mountainside.com/scholarships/brighter-future/
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About St. Joseph High School
St. Joseph High School strives to be the largest, Catholic, co-ed, college preparatory school in Connecticut. The school prepares young women and men to realize their potential, helps them to excel in higher education, and provides a foundation to guide them throughout their lives. St. Joseph High School is a member of NCEA, NAIS, NEAS&C.