The conference center at North Georgia Technical College filled with smiles, applause and heartfelt words on Thursday, Sept. 11, as North Enotah Drug Court held its quarterly graduation ceremony.
Three participants – two from Union County and one from Towns County – marked the end of a 24-month journey of recovery, accountability and renewal.
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This was the third graduation of 2025, bringing the year’s total to more than 10. For the 24 men and women currently working through the program, the event offered a glimpse of what lies ahead: a second chance at life after addiction.
North Enotah Drug Court is designed for individuals facing incarceration due to drug- or alcohol-related crimes. Referred by community stakeholders such as public defenders, candidates are carefully screened across legal and clinical backgrounds before acceptance. Those with violent convictions are not eligible.
Once admitted, participants commit to a two-year program tailored to their needs. The support is holistic – counseling, life skills training, job placement assistance, and housing stability – with one clear goal: sustained sobriety and reintegration into the community.
“This is restorative justice,” explained Program Coordinator Tashina Eller. “We give these individuals opportunities to be supported, to be encouraged, to be monitored while they choose a journey of sobriety, step into that new lifestyle, and develop healthy habits.”
Graduates continue receiving support even after the program ends, staying connected through NA/AA meetings, sponsors, probation officers, and the friendships forged along the way.
Superior Court Judge T. Buckley Levins set a warm and celebratory tone, sharing remarks about each graduate’s personal growth and presenting them with certificates and sobriety coins.
The keynote address from Union County Sheriff Shawn Dyer captured both the pride of the community and the gravity of the graduates’ accomplishments.
“I’ve seen people come out of this program and turn their lives around and change for the good of society,” Dyer said. “We’re not here to beat you down. We have a job to do. Nothing makes us prouder than … when you straighten out and (we can) look back and say, ‘They got it right.’”
In a personal pledge of support, Dyer told graduates, “If you’re feeling low and want to talk to somebody, call me. Everybody in this county’s got my cell number. I answer it 24/7. If I can keep you from falling back, I’ll do whatever I can to do that, and so will any of my guys. I’m proud of you three.”
Graduate David Goyette reflected on the change within himself: “I no longer seek what I can take from life but what I can give. … I may not be what I want to be, I may not be what I could be, but thank God I’m not what I used to be.”
Sheila Larson shared a story of resilience sparked by a moment of kindness: “When my lawyer Pat Smith mentioned drug court, a spark of hope lit within me. … I only had a pillowcase to my name. (Miss Elaine) took me to this beautiful home and said that everything is going to be alright. … She said that I could do this.”
The ceremony closed with friends and family offering words of celebration and encouragement, but the impact reaches beyond those walls. Each graduation represents more than personal victory – it signals safer communities, fewer incarcerations and stronger families.
For North Enotah Drug Court, the quarterly graduations are a reminder of what’s possible when justice, compassion and accountability intersect: lives rebuilt, families restored, and communities made stronger.
