CHAMPAIGN — In 18 days in jail, Ashley Mabry hated that she was cut off from her heroin habit. Now she sees that time as a lifesaver.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Parkland Theater, the 21-year-old Champaign woman will be one of three top GED student speakers out of a 71-member graduating class.

On Monday, many of her friends, like Christian Ash of Champaign, will be celebrating another graduation, from Champaign County Drug Court.

"She's doing great," Ash says. "She's sweet and supportive, a great friend."

The same day, she'll start taking four summer classes at Parkland, working toward a business degree.

A self-described former criminal, Mabry hopes to become a lawyer.

She's a fan of court TV like CNN's "In Session." And she's seen more of the court system than she would have liked from an insider's perspective.

Mabry also finds time to volunteer in a books for prisoners program at the Independent Media Center.

One of her teachers, Tamara Covert, said Mabry would do fine in law school.

"She is capable of being whatever she wants to be," Covert said. "Ashley is a wonderful student — very respectful, dedicated, turning in all of her assignments."

Mabry said she needs structure, and the drug court and GED classes have provided her with that. She says four classes this summer will also give her needed structure.

She's rebuilding her life with the help of her friends. Part of that work is building a stronger relationship with her 6-year-old, Nathan.

"I missed too much of his life," she says.

Mabry said she first got involved with drugs around the age of 12. She dropped out of the READY School to make more time for that lifestyle, and took up with some people who weren't good for her.

"I have problems with self-esteem and co-dependency," Mabry admits.

First prescription drugs, then heroin, dominated her young life.

"Heroin turns into your best friend. I hated that it was taken away from me in jail," she added.

Near rock bottom was a felony conviction for burglary that netted her a drug court sentence. Part of that deal is that she gets a high school equivalency degree.

Adult education Director Tawanna Nickens calls Mabry "a bright young lady with a future. She is such a hard worker."

Whether she works in business or law, Mabry said that the most important thing is to keep to the precepts she learned in drug court and GED classes.

She said she is determined to stay off drugs and work hard in class, where she was surprised to find she has excellent writing skills.

"My life was bad. This is a better way," she says.