Living without alcohol can be especially challenging in college where peer pressure can make it hard to stay the course. That’s why in 2024 Marquette launched Recovery at Marquette, a program that provides support for students in recovery from substance use by building community, promoting healing and holistic wellness, and helping students reach their full potential.
To date, the program has supported more than 30 students in recovery through meetings, one-on-one recovery coaching and the Collegiate Recovery Program, which meets in The Recovery Center located in room 302 of the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility.
Tim Rabolt, assistant director of Recovery at Marquette, knows firsthand about recovery. He became sober at 18 while in college and recently celebrated 15 years of sobriety. His personal journey allows for a better understanding of what students may be going through.
“Students shouldn’t have to choose between a Marquette degree and their recovery — this allows both,” Rabolt says. “College can feel like a recovery-hostile environment and this outlet provides a sober experience elevated by wrap-around support services.”
Here in a Q&A, Rabolt explains how the program uses community to promote healing and holistic wellness, helping students reach their full potential.
What is Recovery at Marquette and how does it help support students?
Recovery at Marquette is a program and community for students getting sober or in recovery from drug and alcohol use. We have peer support meetings throughout the week, drop-in hours, sober events, recovery coaching and an additional layer of support through the Collegiate Recovery Program.
For students who might be feeling anxious as they return to campus, worried about fitting in without drinking, struggling with substance use or concerned about peer pressure around drinking, how can Recovery at Marquette help them and what advice do you have for them?
The biggest piece of advice I’d give is don’t be afraid to chart your own course. Marquette and Milwaukee are well equipped to help any student navigate their experience here while sober.
The Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility overall is one of the best resources of all, particularly with the third-floor offerings from Health Promotion, Prevention and Advocacy Services as well as Recovery at Marquette. I’d keep up with our websites, Instagram accounts, newsletters or come to the third floor and ask questions. There are also good community resources like The Phoenix who host free activities for anyone sober for 48 hours or more.
There are several events that Recovery at Marquette hosts throughout the year including a sober tailgate on National Marquette Day in February and MKE Recovery Night at Brewers game at American Family Field in September. Can you tell me more about these events?
These events, as well as our tailgates and Recovery Night events at the Admirals and Bucks, are our four signature events throughout the year. They bridge together what we do on campus with the larger recovery community in southeast Wisconsin. The intention behind the events is to create very amplified sober spaces in the forms of tailgates prior to local sporting events. Our first one was at the Brewers in mid-September of 2025 and we’re running it back with all four events! We had nearly 1,500 individuals across all the tailgates and are hoping to double that in year two.
Do you have some tips for students trying to navigate college life without alcohol?
I guess it depends on whether they struggled with alcohol or just decided to be alcohol free. There are a lot of really fun and cool spots around town with great mocktails. Join an intramural sports team or a new club at O-Fest. Reach out to us for one-on-one check-ins or go upstairs to the Counseling Center for clinical support. Reaching out for help is always a great first step.
Where can students go to learn more about Recovery at Marquette?
- Sign up for recovery coaching or check-in
- Recovery at Marquette website
- Recovery at Marquette Instagram
- Sign up for the Recovery at Marquette newsletter
The coffee bike is on track to serve its 10,000th cup of free java by the end of the month. Explain more about the coffee bike and how it opens up conversations about sober living.
So far this year, the coffee bike has been at move-in day, a welcome back event for the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences and on the first day of classes. We’ll be at O-Fest and its two-year birthday is on Sept. 24. We bought the bike as a disruptive way to slowly change the narrative around recovery support on campus. If we just sat at a table in AMU, not many people would want to come and chat. With the bike, we’ll have lines of 40-50 people who are then walking around campus with Recovery at Marquette cups, following us on Instagram and maybe having a slightly more positive view about recovery than they did before. The stigma around drug and alcohol use or seeking help was not built overnight, so we’re aiming to dismantle it one cup at a time.
Recovery at Marquette will host its second annual MKE Recovery Night as the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6:40 p.m. at American Family Field.
