Thurston County Commissioner Rachel Grant’s Story of Recovery, Redemption, and Second Chances

I sat down with Thurston County Commissioner Rachel Grant for a powerful and deeply human conversation about recovery, redemption, second chances, and public service. Rachel shared her story of becoming a young mother, losing her son’s father, struggling with drug use, being arrested, going through Thurston County Drug Court, rebuilding her life, and eventually becoming a Thurston County Commissioner. This conversation is not just about politics. It is about the human behind the title. We talked about addiction, recovery, motherhood, grief, foster care, behavioral health, housing, workforce, mentorship, public service, and what it means to turn lived experience into service. Rachel also shared the story of how she was encouraged to run for commissioner, what she has learned in the role, and why she believes people who have been impacted by systems need to be part of the decisions that shape those systems. If you live in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, Rochester, Rainier, Bucoda, or anywhere in Thurston County, I believe this is a conversation worth hearing.