28 Apr “Tired of Being the Bad Guy”
After finding a new path, Chris Rose uses his experience to help others
Even in prison, Chris Rose wanted to help other people succeed where he hadn’t.
“I used to work with the youngsters, help them with their workouts, help them stay busy and try to get them their GEDs,” he recalled. “I went through a rough patch, and I don’t want to see anybody else to ever have to go through that. I’d like to see them get help.”
Chris was eager to share his story because he sees himself as a mentor, offering an alternative path to the one he walked: addiction, prison, and living on the streets.
Early on, his childhood and family life were stable. He grew up in Bethel, surrounded by brothers, sisters, and first cousins, living a subsistence lifestyle. It was a “good life,” he said.
Then, when he was 15, his mother died of cancer. “Everything felt hard after that.”
Soon, he was in and out of jail—something that became a pattern in his life, up until a year and a half ago.
December 11, 2023, Chris walked away from prison for the last time. He immediately contacted CITC because, he said, “I’ve changed my focus. I wanted to change my life around. I’ve been doing everything to stay on track.”
“Everything” has included going to CITC Recovery and Reentry Services to get a substance abuse evaluation and connecting with CITC’s Financial Assistance to receive General Assistance, which provides temporary cash support.
CITC’s Career Development was where big changes started happening, though. The Supported Work Experience got him his first solid job lead; meanwhile, Chris’s self-motivation led him to explore additional opportunities, including signing up with PeopleReady, a local staffing agency.
One day, Chris got a text asking if he was interested in remote work on the Slope.
“Twelve hours a day, seven days a week. Four weeks on, two weeks off. I was like, why not? I’ve never done that before,” he said.
Fast forward a year later: Chris has been working steadily on at Brooks Camp in Prudhoe Bay this whole time. On his days off, he’s busy learning about the world of real estate through a mentorship program.
And he’s telling his story to anyone who wants to hear it. Sharing about his past has been an important part of paying forward the help he received: When he was in prison, one of his mentors told him about CITC. Now, Chris does what he can to help others find a good path in life.
“I’m tired of being the bad guy. I want to make an example and show everybody it’s possible to change your life around. It’s never too late,” he said.
“I mean, I went from living in a tent for three years, doing drugs, to having my own car, having a full-time job, working on becoming a real estate agent—all in less than a year. So it’s possible, as long as you make it possible.”
Chris doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the role he’s played in his own success. But he’s quick to highlight the help he’s gotten along the way, as well. “Learning about CITC, it meant everything,” he added. “If you don’t have that support, where are you going to go? You feel lost and lose focus if you don’t have nobody else to turn to. Knowing CITC is there, just being able to know where I could go and get help directly, right away, made a big difference.”
Do you need help? CITC has a variety of programs and services to meet the needs of you and your family. Explore resources for your recovery, career development, family support, or getting back on your feet.
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