Ryan Wolski

As a Marine Corps combat veteran, healthcare worker, and single father, my life trajectory has been shaped by intense trials and deliberate reconstruction. Serving as a social work student and Youth Care Specialist, I have navigated the realities of trauma, addiction, recovery, and fatherhood firsthand which established a new precedent of resilience that I will carry into my dual JD and MSW program when I begin law school in fall 2027.

After the Marines, I pursued nursing across hospitals, nursing homes, and memory care facilities. I found my true purpose in serving people, but unresolved trauma and alcohol addiction followed me. I left healthcare for several years of blue collar work. As the drinking escalated, it damaged nearly every part of my life, leading to legal trouble with two separate DWI incidents over an eight year span. I finally hit a wall and chose to take responsibility. I got sober and am now approaching four years of continuous sobriety. Recovery required facing why I drank while actively rebuilding my mental health, finances, relationships, and professional direction. This process is primary evidence of my commitment to working with people facing difficult circumstances.

My world completely shifted when I became a father. Following my daughter's birth, I returned to college, fought for and was awarded sole managing conservatorship, and began raising her entirely on my own. Navigating the heavy demands of higher education and parenthood in Texas required the hard choice to completely sever ties with abusive family dynamics, which was the only family I had left when I moved back to the state. Recognizing that those toxic patterns were detrimental to my mental health, and refusing to let my daughter grow up normalized to that environment, I cut contact. Doing this with absolutely zero local support or a safety net in the state required a fierce level of focus and entirely redefined my path. I poured myself into social work, earned my Associate of Arts in Social Work, and am completing my senior coursework and field internship for my Bachelor of Science in Social Work with graduation locked in for summer 2027.

To ensure I was truly ready to support families navigating trauma, I completed additional training through the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. My training focused on trauma informed care, child welfare, mandated reporting, human trafficking, family systems, and the effects of adversity on childhood development.

While finishing school and raising my daughter, I work in home health and hospice as a nurse aide and medication technician. Hospice reminds me of what I valued in the military: being present for people during the hardest periods of their lives. Utilizing my first social work degree, I recently started working as a Youth Care Specialist with children displaced through Child Protective Services, applying my trauma training directly to the population I want to serve. Upon completing my BSSW, I am on track to begin a dual Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work program in fall 2027. My goal is to combine social work, law, and child welfare experience to advocate for families with an understanding of both the legal system and human circumstances behind it.

Outside of school and work, I provide free peer coaching to individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. Being a veteran gives me a strong connection to others dealing with trauma and substance use, but I help anyone ready for change. Long term recovery requires rebuilding what addiction damages and creating a life worth protecting. I also volunteer my time to help people understand credit repair and personal finances. Financial stability was a vital part of my own rebuilding, and practical education gives people true independence.

The common thread in everything I do is rebuilding. My history with addiction, mistakes, and legal trouble is out in the open. Transparency cuts through the noise, allowing me to connect with clients on a level that credentials alone can never replicate.

My daughter is the primary motivation behind my decision to pursue a dual JD and MSW degree. Navigating this demanding path independently as a working father has tested my resolve, but it drives my commitment to show her that a meaningful life is built on accountability rather than a flawless background. This is work I genuinely love doing, and I make sure our home is full of happiness and smiles through all of it. I want her to grow up understanding that fulfillment comes from your perspective, proving that you can face heavy hardships and still live a joyful life. I want her to see that life is about finding happiness in your purpose rather than just enduring hard work.