Former contestant on "The Bachelorette" visits ECU, speaks about addiction recovery

GREENVILLE, Pitt County — Students at ECU are getting ready for Spring Break.

Campus officials are sending them off with advice on how to stay safe and brought in the help of a reality television star.

Zac Clark was on season 16 of The Bachelorette and he's trying to use his TV stardom to remove stigma around addiction and to help people recover.

Clark spoke at ECU Tuesday night, Feb. 28, 2023 and shared his own story of overcoming addiction, hoping to show students how to keep Spring Break safe.

"Someone knew that I needed help and I became willing to actually be honest for one split second," Clark said.

Before Clark was on the ABC show, he struggled with addiction.

After years of substance abuse, Clark uses his platform to raise awareness.

With only days before the school's Spring Break, school leaders are getting creative with safety promotion.

"We don't want to tell people to not go out and party, but it's really important to make sure that we're doing it safely," ECU graduate assistant Jodi Quemelen said.

This year's program will feature a wellness resource fair and free NARCAN training for students.

For some in attendance, they said they'll be taking what they learned with them on their vacations.

"You can have fun without even drinking or abusing the drugs. It’s just about being present and being honest. Ask for help. Or, if you see something that’s not right, try to help out your friends if they’re struggling," ECU student Claudia Ayala said.

As for Clark, he said the keys to overcoming substance abuse are community and transparency.

"If we are able to open our eyes and be aware and have honest conversations with the people in our lives, you might save someone’s life," he said.

Clark is now the founder and CEO of Release Recovery, a substance abuse and mental health organization based in New York.

ECU's Spring Break runs from Mar. 4-11.