Sierra Libutti

Sierra had a normal upbringing and had every opportunity to live a happy and successful life. That changed when she got into the party scene in high school. It started with drinking and quickly progressed to using pills. When pills were too hard to get, she turned to heroin. She got her first DUI before her 16th birthday, around the same time she became a full-blown heroin addict. She started stealing and committing crimes to support her addiction, and by the time she was 18, she had made herself unwelcome by family and friends. She would lie to, steal from, and manipulate the people who cared about her most. Ultimately she landed herself on the streets or stayed with friends, carrying everything she owned in a backpack on her back.

When she was 22, she had been arrested 9 times and spent over 3 years incarcerated. In 2015 she discovered The Other Side Academy. What stuck out about it was that it was something she could do on her own. She had burned every bridge out there, had no insurance, and nobody was going to help her. The Other Side Academy was free and all it took was her commitment.

Throughout her 3 year stay, she gained courage and learned to set boundaries. Instead of running from her problems, she confronts them head-on. She is now honest and has grown compassion for others. Most importantly, she learned that it’s not all about her. She wants other people to do well and feel as good as she feels now. She also got something she never thought she’d get back: her family. These days she’s at the top of the list to babysit her little brother, which would have been unthinkable before. 

Upon graduating from The Other Side Academy, Sierra was hired to work in one of the Academy’s social enterprises: The Other Side Thrift Boutique. She proved herself to be reliable, capable, and quite creative. She is now managing the whole enterprise, which includes marketing, social media, and two Thrift Boutiques.