Six individuals successfully completed drug court and were congratulated on their achievement Friday in Judge Bob Armstrong’s courtroom.

Executive director of the program Miah Jackson said a lot of greatness can be seen within the graduates. She also said they have overcome a lot of challenges since they entered the program.

“We had one graduate from the family drug court program that lost custody of her children,” she said. “She currently has custody of her children now.”

Although the program and graduates yielded success, Jackson said the beginning of the program is a lot tougher for some. She said participants sometimes enter the program with a negative disposition, but they leave with new tools for their futures.

Rep. Darrio Melton was the graduation’s keynote speaker. He broached the seriousness of his speech in a spiritual tone. Graduates and attendees were reminded their lives were still under construction.

“The only thing God is doing in your life is basically renovation because the foundation is still there,” he said. “You can get hit with anything, but as long as you have a good foundation you can rebuild.”

Mayor George Evans, Judge Bob Armstrong, Probate Judge Kim Ballard and District Attorney Michael Jackson were amongs those who attended.

“It’s always good to see somebody who’s put some work in and pushes forward in accomplishing their goals,” Jackson said. “It was very good to be there.”

A DUI sent graduate Steven to the Dallas County drug court. He saw the charge as a miracle.

“A DUI isn’t something a lot of folks would say is from God, but I believe that God’s hand was in it,” he said.

It’s been 17 months, since he last tasted alcohol, he said. He said he always wanted to quit drinking, and he prayed and asked God for guidance. The program provided him with hope.

“There’s no telling where I would be at had I not entered this program,” he said. “I’d probably be in jail. I learned you can stop. There’s been a lot of accountability in the program.”

The drug court staff is not only friends of Steven, but people he can call his family, he said.

“If you need help, or someone to talk to, they are there,” he said. “These guys got me started in it [the program], but I believe the spirit took over and did the rest.”