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
|