Lamar State College Port Arthur, through the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation, awarded a scholarship to Aragorn Franklin, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) student who wants to work locally for a ‘mom and pop’ trucking company.
Trucking is a high-demand industry that offers rock-solid wages and job security. Lamar State College Port Arthur’s Commercial Driver’s License Class B training course can get you up to speed and on the road in less than 6 weeks and its Class A training course can get you up to speed and on the road in 15 weeks.
“I want to brag on them. I think we have the best program ever, with a 100% passing rate. I’m overflowing with excitement,” Texas State University System (TSUS) Polk County Center Director Kathryn Pedigo said of the CDL program taught locally by Paul Cumberledge.
“I teach them how to be a better truck driver, not how to get a license. I have a pretty good rate. All of my students get jobs. I network, try to help students from the area here. It is a big challenge to come into this field and take this step, but I try to give them both – the good and the bad,” Cumberledge said.
“I love to see them expand and grow, see them learn how to use their left brain and right brain at the same time. It gets overwhelming, but I really focus so that they get enough seat time in that truck so they’re comfortable and the truck is just an extension of them. I want them to be comfortable when they go out and try to get a job,” Cumberledge said.
“He teaches the real way. He doesn’t sugar coat it,” Franklin said.
“I’ve never looked at myself as a teacher,” Cumberledge said. “I look at myself as a truck driver trying to teach people how to drive a truck. There’s a big difference between a CDL school and a truck driving school. Here we have a truck driving school.”
“I’m very passionate about it because I want to see these guys succeed, make a living. There’s not many fields that have that,” Cumberledge said.
“They offer a good structure for beginning truck drivers. They get you ready with a pretty good foundation. The skills you learn in this class are real world experience,” Franklin said.
“I wasn’t in there five days and was already driving that truck. I was confident being behind the wheel of a big rig. With the skills I’ve learned, I wasn’t scared. They get you the experience that you need to go out there,” Franklin said.
“I want to stay here. I want to work here. I want to work for a mom and pop. I want to keep it in Polk County,” Franklin said.
“The scholarship he received was made possible by a gift to the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation from some anonymous donors that believe in the power of transformative education right here in Livingston,” Andy Evans, president of the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation, said.
“On behalf of the foundation, we are more than happy to have received this generous contribution that will allow local students to further their education and enter the workforce,” Evans said.
If you or someone you know is interested in pursuing a degree at the TSUS Polk County Center, visit online at pcc.tsus.edu for more information.
The Texas State University System (TSUS) Polk County Center represents a significant investment in education and workforce development for the communities of Polk County. This educational facility offers a diverse range of courses and training programs jointly offered by Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College Orange, and Lamar State College Port Arthur.
