EL RENO, Okla. – For many, the open road is a path to happiness and freedom.
“I love to drive and travel,” Tisha Hamby said. “I want to see the world.”
Tisha Hamby is fulfilling a lifelong dream – behind the wheel of a big rig.
A commercial driver’s license. Tisha is among the inaugural class of women taking this truck driver’s course. “They aren’t just giving us a job, they are giving us a whole new life,” Joanna Fowler said. “And I’m so grateful for it.”
Their lives took an unscheduled detour. These women are currently inmates at Oklahoma City Community Corrections.
“I would have never seen three years ago that this would happen,” an emotional Michelle Reynolds said. “But I didn’t give up because I said, okay God, there is something in store for me.”
This class was made possible through a 3-pronged partnership with CareerTech and Central Tech. These returning citizens will complete a rigorous four-week course, including classroom and hands-on training.
“The first time I was crying all the way down I-40,” Passion Moore said. “But I’m enjoying it more and more.”
The women will graduate next month. Upon their release from ODOC custody, they’ll take part in an 8-week mentorship and ultimately get placed in a full-time position.
“We have doors that are opening for us,” Tisha Hamby said. “Our future is secure.”
“it’s a testament to their hard work and what can happen when people invest in their lives,” instructor Mark Endriss said. “We all have detours. It’s just a matter of getting back on course. Big amen to that.”
Through the investment of others, they are putting prison in the rearview mirror.
