Keith Clepper Feature Story
Recovering addict finds inspiration in degree program
Keith Clepper
By Megan Rocker
“Addicts are interesting people,” says Inter-College Program (ICP) graduate Keith Clepper. “They are extremely creative—and they can be sneaky. The trick for me, as a counselor, is to figure out what’s really going on in their lives, how to get them to reveal their thoughts, and how to help them to stay sober.”
Clepper, who works as a rehab counselor for Unity Hospital, should know—he himself is a recovering addict. “I started college when I was 18. By 19, I was working as a bartender at the bar I frequented. I left college three times before I was 23…largely because I couldn’t keep my grades up.”
“My adolescence pretty much lasted until I was 37 years old,” Clepper says. “And then, one day, I looked around, and was like ‘Whoa. What am I doing? What have I accomplished?’ And at that point, it was either make a major change—or continue down that destructive path. I chose to get sober.”
In recovery at Hazelden Treatment Center, Clepper laid the foundation for his future. “When I was sobering up, I realized I was almost 40, and I had done nothing with my life of any meaning. And, as you get older, that feeling of wanting to do something of meaning gnaws at you. I began to ask myself, ‘okay…I’m here. What is my purpose? How can I give back to society?’”
Eventually, Clepper decided to finish his degree. “I saw it as step one in my transition to a new life. Plus, being surrounded by healthy people makes you want to stay healthy. And of course, ‘idle hands are the devil’s workshop.’ One of the biggest detriments to staying sober is this vast time vacuum that opens up once you leave treatment.”
The ICP was appealing because it would allow Clepper to combine a number of interests to make a degree with real-world applications. “I knew that I wanted to help people stay sober--isn’t the secret of success doing what you know?”
Says Clepper of his focus areas: “I picked addiction studies because I wanted to focus on relapse prevention; kinesiology because I believe that recreational therapy—fitness and exercise—is a key in staying sober. And psychology to help me get the credentials I need as I move forward, and give me a deeper understanding into how people think.”
A self-proclaimed slacker and “non-academic type” his first time through school, Clepper kept himself busy during the second college career. He held a teaching assistant position, worked part-time as a manager at Northwest Athletic Club, was active in broomball and tennis (he played on a team that qualified for USAT nationals), coached high school tennis, and did a full year of internships at Unity Hospital. He also took time to study abroad.
“A successful recovery means surrounding yourself with healthy people with healthy habits. It means keeping busy physically and mentally. Like I tell my clients, you’re living a new life. You have to find out where your interests lie, how you can get involved. It’s a chance to be the person you’ve always wanted to be, now that drugs and alcohol aren’t involved.”
After graduation, Clepper is now enrolled in a master of social work program to gain his licensure in clinical social work. His next step to get his Ph.D. in psychology and build his own treatment program.
“I want to specialize in using community resources and connections to help recovering addicts avoid relapsing. The idea would be to evaluate a person’s interests and hobbies—and if they can’t think of any, we’d help them discover what they might like to do. Then, when they leave rehab, we have a person or a group already lined up for them to be a part of, whether it’s a book club, or a running group, or a fishing partner, whatever.”
Clepper is passionate about his education and career goals. “I love my job, and what I’m doing [in school]. I wouldn’t trade places—or life experiences—with anyone. School allowed me to mature as a person; showed me a whole new side of society. In my past life, I was surrounded by takers, people who only wanted to know what’s in it for them. People here are givers; they want to contribute to society.”
Although he acknowledges he’s a bit older than your average student, he says he never felt the least bit out of place in returning to school. “At first, all I saw were traditional-age students. But the more I looked around, the more I realized that there were a LOT of people my own age—and older.
“Sure, I asked ‘am I smart enough?’ ‘Is this too hard for me?’ ‘Will I be the oldest one there?’ But then I realized that education, and the experiences you get here, are never going to hurt you.”
Clepper learned that people have some of the same reservations about returning to school as they do deciding to get sober. “People don’t like change. With any life change, there’ll be anxiety. There’s a fear of the unknown; a fear it will be difficult. And, truth be told, it will be. But once you get through that anxiety, and take on those challenges, there’s a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment.”
It’s a feeling he knows well, and hopes to be able to share with his clients. “There are ways out there to help you live your life differently. Deep down, my clients, whether they realize it or not, want a different life for themselves. Hopefully, I’ll be able to help them ask themselves not ‘why would I?’ but rather, ‘why not?’ I hope I can connect them with the resources to make that new life happen for them.”
