“I’m Living Proof That Change Is Possible”: Tyler Wuethrich's Story

At Second Chance Tucson, we believe in Dignity & Agency—restoring self-worth and supporting people to lead their own reentry journey.

✨One of the most meaningful parts of our SCT Community Forums is that we make space for lived-experience leadership. These stories remind all of us what’s possible when people are seen as whole human beings—not defined by their worst moment💚.

🎥 Watch the video (Tyler begins at 52:19):https://youtu.be/33GMmfXIqgk?si=fh7KyRP3oxr6X1NS&t=3139

Good afternoon,

Before I begin, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone here — not just for attending today, but for the dedication, passion, commitment, and effort you put into giving people like myself an opportunity to right our wrongs and earn another chance at a life of purpose, stability, and happiness. What you do matters more than you may ever fully realize. I also want to thank those that may be here that are just getting started on their path to redemption and true happiness, regardless of where you're at on your journey, you're here, today, and THAT is what matters. It is truly an honor to be here speaking with you today.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tyler Wuethrich, Arizona Department of Corrections inmate number 362103 — and I have four years clean. As an addict for 14 years I can say that I’m grateful I made it out, because a lot of us don’t get that chance.

In March of 2022, I was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to two and a half years in prison. I was absolutely terrified of incarceration. At the time, I thought my life was over. What I didn’t yet realize was that my life had actually been over for quite some time — I just hadn’t stopped long enough to see it.

A little over a year ago I was walking out of prison on parole. I had no job. No money. And aside from a small a group of positive, supportive people, I had nothing but hope and determination on the horizon. I’d like to think that today I’m a pretty solid human being. But if you had met me a few years ago, there’s a good chance you wouldn’t have liked me very much. To be honest — I didn’t like me very much either.

On paper, I was someone who made a poor decision with a firearm. What the paperwork didn’t show was that my drug addiction and I had already spent years together destroying everything in our path. I was an arsonist — not just literally, but figuratively. Together, my addiction and I burned nearly every professional, personal, and romantic relationship I had. I wasn’t a murderer in the legal sense, but my addiction had killed almost everything good in my life.

Eventually, I found myself standing on the yard at Red Rock Correctional Facility, looking up from the bottom of a massive hole I had dug for myself — and realizing I had nothing left. No friends. No family. No money. No future. I didn’t even have the shovel I’d used to get myself there.

For years before that moment, I had wanted to get clean. I truly did. But I kept thinking I could manage it somehow. They say you can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it, and I know now that’s true. The cycle is real: a day turns into a week, a week into a year, and one day you’re left baffled, asking yourself, How did I get here?

During the first few months of my incarceration, I was introduced to Michael McGrain and a program on the yard called Persevere. At the time, I had no idea those two things would change my life forever. Since its inception in 2014, Persevere has had nearly 600 graduates and a post-graduate recidivism rate of just 1.8%, compared to Arizona’s average of 37%. But those numbers don’t tell the full story. With enough hard work and determination, Persevere graduates don’t just learn how to write code or build websites. We’re given every tool needed to truly thrive in any career. Career readiness. Accountability. Structure. Family reunification. Wraparound services that begin the moment you walk into the classroom and follow you well into your return to society.

Without those services, I honestly don’t know where I’d be today.

I’m proud to say that I was one of 18 inmates selected for the Red Rock program — and one of 15 who graduated. Going to prison was my turning point, but Persevere was the light at the end of the tunnel. It was an escape from the daily grind of incarceration — and proof that something better was possible.

Interestingly enough, I didn’t end up pursuing a career in software development. With an unprecedented amount of effort — and yes, a lot of perseverance — I turned that light at the end of the tunnel into what I now hope others see as more of a lighthouse. That shift happened thanks to a chance meeting with my mentor, George Nolan. Through him, I realized that you can make a career out of motivating, inspiring, and helping others. I saw a level of genuine happiness and fulfillment in that man that I had only seen a handful of times in my life. Halfway through the program, I made a decision: I would finish Persevere, but I would dedicate my life to helping others overcome addiction and incarceration — and reach their true potential.

I’ve never looked back.

Today, I am a convicted felon — and I don’t hide from that. But I am also someone who made the decision and commitment to show up and give it my everything. When things seemed tough, I stayed. I showed up the next day. And the next. Somewhere between resisting the urge to give up and forcing myself to change, something clicked.

Today, I stand before you as a Persevere graduate, a certified full-stack software developer, a certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, and a Behavioral Health Technician and Client Care Coordinator at Community Bridges. I have my driver’s license for the first time in 14 years. I paid off over $14,000 in dmv fines. Ive purchased and drive the vehicle I dreamed of owning since middle school. I hold redundant Emergency First Aid, CPR, and AED certifications.

More importantly, I’m living proof that change is possible.

Nothing makes my life feel more complete than being able to act as a beacon for others who may feel surrounded by darkness — searching for a light of their own.

We can come out of it. We can stop just existing. And we can truly begin to live.

If you’re stuck, please reach out. I will do whatever is in my power to help you.

Thank you again for allowing me to be here today — and for believing in programs like Persevere that truly change lives, one line of code at a time.

God bless.

Tyler