Instead of being the capstone of years of studying, Danielle Schumann’s graduation celebrated the three years she’s worked at achieving and maintaining her recovery from drug addiction. After struggling with addiction for 16 years, she worried this day would never come, but it did.

Schumann is the latest graduate of Gateway to Discovery, a faith-based residential recovery program for women struggling with addiction. Residents live in the Gateway house for two years, where they learn to maintain their recovery and reclaim their lives.

Schumann moved into the house on Aug. 25, 2020. She had completed a clinical residential treatment program in Des Moines before finding her way to Gateway.

“For more than 16 years, I was in addiction,” Schumann said. “I couldn’t hold a job, I was ruining my life and it got to the point where I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Danielle Schumann holds up an ice cream cake to celebrate her graduation from the Gateway to Discovery program on Saturday afternoon.

Her addiction damaged the relationships she had with those she loved and she felt like she had nobody, that she was alone. That was when Schumann decided to surrender to her “higher power” and seek a lasting recovery. It was a fork in the road of sorts.

“My mental health was declining and I was in and out of psychosis, which is kind of what happens with meth addiction,” she said. “I was kind of at my end. I took it as either I was going to go deeper into my addiction or I was going to get help.”

Going to Gateway to Discovery after treatment helped Schumann get away from the places and people who had fueled her addiction.

“It’s been life-changing,” she said. “I’ve met new people, I’ve been able to heal from some of the stuff that I’ve been through, whether I’ve brought it on myself or not.”

Schumann said she no longer feels like the person she was when she was in active addiction and now she’s begun to mend her relationships with her family and has grown in her relationship with God.

“I’ve built a foundation,” she said. “And this place has helped me do that.”

Schumann now works with other women who are working on their recovery from addiction at the YWCA of Fort Dodge.

Schumann actually moved out of the Gateway house and into transitional housing a couple months ago, but Saturday was the first time her friends, family and other “Gateway Girls” could come to celebrate.

Gateway to Discovery Program Coordinator Lyndsey Rholl was beaming with pride for the latest graduate.

“When she came here, Danielle struggled with budgeting, she struggled with being assertive, she just struggled with giving herself grace,” Rholl said. “It was hard, but she worked on that for a really long time.”

Rholl said she’s enjoyed watching Schumann grow throughout her time at Gateway and that she feels confident about Schumann transitioning to being on her own.

“It just means a lot to be able to watch her graduate and be a part of her recovery journey.”