Ben came to My Friend’s House (MFH) in the fall of 2012 during his senior year of high school through a series of circumstances that had him on the wrong path. The combination of poor life choices and failing school caused him to not care about the present or his future.
A short time after his arrival at MFH, he began to experience a change in his attitude toward school. He worked hard and attended academic tutoring and credit recovery every day after school. Due to previous addictions, Ben was placed in a drug and alcohol recovery program to get the help he needed. Not only did he accept help with his schoolwork and addictions, he gained respect for the adults who were caring for him. He made new friends and became a role model among the other boys.
Ben finished the MFH program early in his final semester of high school, but he did not want to move schools again so close to graduation. He was granted special permission to stay on at MFG to complete the semester and graduate from the school where he had experienced so much success. Through the help of MFH, he attended Prom that year and, most impressively, was offered a scholarship to attend college at Oakland City University in Indiana.
In the spring of 2014 after attending college for two years, Ben returned to Middle Tennessee. He began work as a carpet cleaning technician, subcontracting with a major company, and currently has started his own carpet cleaning business with his long-time friend and partner, Earl Doran.
Ben credits MFH and the assistance of the dedicated direct care staff with his success. Most of all, he wants the community to know that the care he received through MFH is the reason he is so successful today. Ben says that any young resident at MFH will be on the road to success if they work hard, follow the program, pay attention to their school work, and respect the staff and volunteers that are there to help.
He has fond memories of his time here at MFH and, although it wasn’t always easy, he learned how to cope with the trials of life and is thriving today. We are grateful to Ben for sharing his story and his amazing smile!
