Second Chance Comedy Brings Laughs and Healing to Aims Community College

Aims Community College invites the community to laugh, connect, and reflect during a special one-night event: the Second Chance Comedy Show — a standup comedy experience centered on addiction, recovery, and resilience.

April 08, 2025 Aims Communications

Von Sprecken headlines the Second Chance Comedy Show on April 18, 2025, at Aims Community College.

The free show takes place on Friday, April 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Welcome Center Auditorium on the Greeley Campus. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and admission is general entry. Aims will enforce a clear bag policy at the event to provide a safe environment for guests. This program is for adults and may be unsuitable for children under 18. Viewer discretion is advised. Call 970-339-6388 to request accommodations for this event.

The Student Life and Counseling Services offices at Aims Community College are bringing this event to campus for students, staff and the community to enjoy. Both teams are driving forces behind the student group, Arty’s Recovery Connection, for Aims students in recovery, those seeking recovery and allies to meet and connect while having fun.

Charleen McCasland and Ana Monsivais are Aims students and peer facilitators in Arty’s Recovery Connection and are looking forward to bringing the Second Chance Comedy Show to group members and beyond. They hope that it will begin to break the stigmas of addiction and highlight that recovery isn’t a “one size fits all” experience.

“It feels really good to bring something like this to Aims,” McCasland said. “We care about students’ mental health, their sense of belonging, and helping people feel like they’re not alone — and this show does all of that in such a fun way.”

“We’re excited to bring something different to campus — something that’s fun and still meaningful,” Monsivais said. “Comedy is such a cool way to talk about recovery without it feeling heavy.”

Second Chance Comedy: A Standup Comedy Show About Addiction

Joe Huisman

The show features host Joe Huisman, who founded Second Chance Comedy. He says that he was a “major drug addict" until about 24 years ago. A few years ago, he got into stand-up comedy, and his jokes about his past addiction struck a chord with audiences. “People would come up to me after shows and start telling me about their own recovery stories,” he said. “There was this light bulb moment—maybe we could build something that’s not only funny but healing.”

Huisman gathered a small group of Denver area-based comedians who also had lived experience with addiction and recovery and performed their first show last year. Since then, Second Chance Comedy has done shows from Cheyenne to Colorado Springs to bring authentic, relatable, and healing comedy to colleges and theaters across the region.

In addition to Huisman, featured comics at the Aims show include headliner Von Sprecken, Dominic Syracuse, Donna Shannon and Tara Check. Each of these comedians brings a unique perspective to the stage, sharing their personal experiences with addiction and recovery in a funny and deeply relatable way. “Von Sprecken is hilarious. He’s one of the most talented comedians I’ve worked with, and he’s also in recovery, which adds another layer to his performance,” Huisman said. “He gets it — and the audience really connects with that.”

Huisman believes this comedy is for everyone, not just those in recovery.

“This show is for anyone who’s been through something — addiction, mental health challenges, trauma — or knows someone who has. We’ve all had challenges. The stories we share on stage are funny, but they’re real — and that’s what makes them powerful.”