Mary Jean Hoover

I attended Lee University from 1988 - 1992 where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. I then entered Peniel Drug/Alcohol Residential Treatment in January 1996 for a crack cocaine addiction. I graduated from Peniel in July of 1997.

Since completing the program I have joined the staff at Peniel. Currently I am a counselor assistant working towards gaining my Certified Addictions Counselor Certification (CAC). I also teach classes and work with the ladies program. In addition to this I work with the student personal spending accounts.

Since entering the doors of Peniel I have grown tremendously in all area of my life. My whole life has been affected by Peniel. I no longer think, talk, or act the same. I have matured a great deal, I know how to deal with life on life’s terms where as before I would turn to drugs/alcohol or self destructive behaviors to escape the pain that I was experiencing. Prior to entering Peniel my dreams were only fantasy, but now they are becoming reality.

The greatest reward about working at Peniel is seeing the lives of our clients change. When a student enters the program they are broken, hard, and desperate for a way out. The web of addiction has brought them lower then they could ever imagine. Working with them one-on-one is the greatest reward because I have that special privilege of seeing them change in all areas of their life. However, the greatest, but saddest day of all is seeing them successfully complete treatment and move on and become that person they were intended to be from the beginning.

If it was not for Peniel I know that I would have ever made it out. I am eternally grateful that I had the wonderful privilege of graduating from the program. In addition there is no other cooperation in the world that could match the level of training and professionalism that is taught to us here.