Midland-based organizations lead the way to renewed life for recovering addictAugust 07, 2024

When Brycie Tamayo was 12 years old, she started taking ADHD meds because a friend told her it would make her smart.  By the time she was 14, she was smoking marijuana.  It wasn’t long after that when she became addicted to methamphetamines and was skipping school.  In the mornings, she rode the bus to school in her small hometown of Morton Valley in Eastland County, about an hour east of Abilene, Texas; however, she wouldn’t go inside the school building.  Instead, she would go somewhere nearby, take drugs and then ride the school bus back home at the end of the day.  At the age of 15, she was pregnant, not sure of who the father was.

“When I discovered that I was pregnant, I stopped the drugs and alcohol briefly, but as soon as my son was born, I went right back to the abuse,” Tamayo said.  “However, that wasn’t the low point of my life.”

By the time she was 20, Tamayo was homeless, had lost custody of her son and was arrested for second-degree felony.  

“I had several opportunities to get my life back on the right track, but I guess I didn’t want to be helped at the time,” Tamayo said.  “I was in two psychiatric hospitals—one in Fort Worth and one in Wichita Falls.  There was also a nice lady named Sylvia Silva who owned a real estate company in Fort Worth.  I’m not sure what she saw in me.  She took me to her home and wanted to help me, but I panicked and left.  I was homeless once again, and I hung out with a guy named Squiggy on the streets of Fort Worth. At one point, I was living in an abandoned house and dealing drugs.”

Tamayo eventually ended up in an abusive relationship with a man whose job required that he drive back and forth between Fort Worth and Midland, and she would ride with him.  One evening, the man abandoned Tamayo at Moss Creek Lake near Big Spring.  She wandered barefoot in an alcohol-induced haze the entire night.

“I was so thirsty during the night, and I drank water out of some type of tank that smelled like cow manure,” she recalled.  “Finally, the next morning, I saw a family who was camping near the lake.  As I look back on it, I think God put that family in that particular place for a reason.  It was the beginning of a chain of events that would change my life forever.  They called 9-1-1, and I was transported in an ambulance to the hospital in Big Spring where I was treated for dehydration and whatever was in the water I drank.  Then the same family took me to Midland and paid for me to stay in the Days Inn motel on Front Street for three nights.

“I temporarily had a roof over my head, but I was desperate to find some money to buy beer.  I started walking up and down Wall Street in hopes of panhandling some money.  I passed Mitchell Furniture Store a couple of times.  I didn’t realize it, but Mark Mitchell, the owner, was watching me.  During my third time passing by the store, I decided to go in and ask for money.  Mark and several other employees immediately surrounded me—not in a threatening way, but it was more like they cared about me.  As it turned out, the employees were all graduates of Teen Challenge.  Mark told me that I could get help at Teen Challenge, and he would sponsor me to go through the program.

“I refused his help and left the store.  That night, I took up once again with the same abusive guy that had abandoned me in Big Spring.  It was a terrible night; he dragged me through the parking lot of the West Wind Motel.  For three days, we traveled from city to city, going through one series of bad events after another until I decided I was done and ready to go. 

“I remembered Mark Mitchell, and so I went back to the store in Midland.  Mark then took me to Teen Challenge.  Sixteen days later, I gave my life to Christ and have now been clean and sober for five years.”

Teen Challenge is a residential, non-profit, faith-based organization based in Midland that assists men and women ages 18 and older with alcohol and drug abuse.  Tamayo not only restored her sobriety at Teen Challenge and discovered her faith, but also received her high school equivalency diploma (GED®).  She celebrated her 21st birthday when she was a resident at Teen Challenge.

Another Midland-based organization, Fair Havens, helped Tamayo gain custody of her son and helped her enroll at Midland College where she earned an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice and discovered her talents in creative writing.  Through her writing classes, she attended the Sigma Tau Delta National English Honors Convention during the past three years.  At the April 2024 Convention in St. Louis, MO, she won second place out of over 100 entries for her piece “How Did I Get Here,” an autobiographical short story about her time when she was homeless in Fort Worth.

“I loved having Brycie in my creative writing class,” Stacy Egan, Midland College English professor, said.  “Her enthusiasm for fiction writing and the supportive feedback she gave her peers made the class such a close-knit community and a joy to teach. I have traveled with Brycie to conventions in Atlanta, Denver and St. Louis, and watched her share autobiographical work that has inspired so many people. 

“I am thankful to organizations that work to make sure students like Brycie arrive at Midland College where they can be nurtured by opportunities and support that enable them to thrive.  One thing that will always stand out to me about Brycie's story is that her journey here started with an individual in our community taking the time to help. I think of Midland College as a village that helps students, but this would never be possible without the Midland community that supports us. 

“Brycie will undoubtedly change the world, and her story proves that when others believe in you, you begin to believe in yourself.  That belief is like a domino effect towards achieving great things.”

Tamayo also took a music class from Midland College music professor Katie Osuampke.  Currently, she and her best friend Channing have formed a duet called the Prodigal Daughters and have written a country gospel song entitled “We’ve Come Home.”  

“Midland College opened my eyes as to what my future could be,” Tamayo said.  “Currently, I’m working as the Women’s Workforce Coordinator at Teen Challenge because I want to give back to the organization that changed my life and taught me how to follow Christ.  Eventually, I’d like to go into law enforcement or probation services.  I’ve recently applied for positions with the Midland Police Department and Crime Scene Investigation.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”  

Dr. Amy Post-McCorkle, Midland College Speech Communication professor and department chair, fondly remembers Tamayo in her class:  “When I think of Brycie, I think of the Aristotle quote:  ‘We are what we repeatedly do!  Excellence then is not an act, but a habit!’”

Tamayo definitely believes in making a healthy lifestyle a habit.  She enjoys CrossFit and exercises regularly at Renewed Strength CrossFit in Midland.  She is currently working toward becoming a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. 

“Like a lot of addicts who become clean, I started gaining weight,” Tamayo explained.  “In fact, weight gain is a major reason why some women relapse.  Fortunately, my faith in Christ was strong, and He gave me the strength to find a healthy alternative through exercise.”

Two years ago, Tamayo married her husband Christian, and their blended family consists of her son Jase who is now 10 and Christian’s 6-year-old daughter Ximena.  The family enjoys barbecuing and camping together.  Brycie and Christian are also active in a couple’s group at their church where Brycie says she has made another best friend for life—Tish.  

While life continues to have struggles for Tamayo, like when her mother passed away in 2020 and when she recently lost a good friend Chastity to fentanyl overdose, she has learned to take one day at a time.

“Once you meet Brycie, you will never forget her,” Post-McCorkle said.  “When she was in my class, she always strove for excellence.  She has a vivaciously energetic spirit, and to know her is to love her!”

Photo:  Brycie Tamayo and her dog Cowboy