“I think I might have chosen the wrong major,” Jarrod Hoffman ’14 confessed to a professor his senior year at Covenant. The professor didn’t disagree. In high school, Jarrod had a great math teacher and enjoyed math, so it seemed like a natural choice to study it in college. However, he found himself struggling more than he imagined, saying  “I was a C student,” he said, “but it was too late to change.” So, Jarrod finished out his math degree. The question remained: what’s next?

A New Opportunity

Jarrod learned about an internship at East Cobb Presbyterian Church in their youth ministry department. There, he realized his natural skills in relating to teens and their parents. He easily connected with teen boys and got them to open up about their lives. Before long, he took on the role of interim youth director where he learned additional skills in budgeting, marketing, and all the associated tasks involved with running a ministry. He then moved to Memphis to work in a bigger youth ministry where he continued to grow in his calling to work with people. “I think I just like people and understanding them and helping them,” he said.

Graduate School with Eyes Wide Open

As he continued in youth ministry, he found a growing desire to learn more about how to help people, especially those who struggle with addiction, depression, trauma, etc. He decided to pursue a degree in counseling at the University of Memphis. Jarrod reports that the academic rigor of Covenant prepared him for graduate school. In fact, he found he had become a better student and excelled in his studies. When asked about studying counseling at a secular institution, Jarrod responded, “What was the point of Covenant College if I was not equipped to study in a secular environment?” With the biblical foundation and worldview training he received at Covenant, he felt fully equipped to navigate his studies through the lens of faith.

Called to Counsel Teens and Parents

Jarrod continues living in Memphis with his wife Katie and their daughter Mable and is now counseling with Kardia Collective and works mostly with teens and their parents. He often explains to people that he wants to help teens “like the 14-year-old Jarrod.” He said, “My parents divorced when I was ten. I found porn when I was eleven. I didn’t find healing until I was twenty-five.” At Covenant, Jarrod lived on 2nd Central, three doors down from where the counseling offices once were. “My biggest regret from college is not going in there for counseling,” he lamented. 

Jarrod’s work with teens and parents during his years in youth ministry gave him the experience and relationship tools to work with the same population in the counseling room. He finds that he can quickly break down the typical barrier teens have with counseling and encourage them to open up about their lives. He recently started a virtual support group for parents of teens. To learn more about Jarrod’s work click here. To learn more about his virtual parenting groups, click here.

And that math degree? It may yet come in handy, for Jarrod hopes to one day run his own counseling practice where what he learned in class will be useful in running a business.

Connect with us