Below is an email from Bill West, he is a former GE executive who now lives up here in VT and has volunteered with us for several years. He started as a mentor to one of our youth, then took it upon himself to start teaching other Spectrum kids how to drive, even offering his own car. Remember, many of our kids don’t have parents to teach them to drive, and because public transportation is so unreliable here, learning to drive is essential for employment and life in general. We are so grateful to have Bill do this for our youth, and I think you will enjoy what he has to say about the experience:
Besides my mentee, I’ve helped three other people. One girl and two boys. Each time I’m with them, I usually take them out for an hour and go over the basics that they will be tested on. We repeat our meetings until they feel confident to take their road test.
The girl was difficult to get a hold of and I eventually took her out once – maybe twice. It was kind of funny because she was probably the most aggressive driver of them all. Got right behind the wheel, adjusted the mirrors, stepped on the gas and drove pretty hard the whole time. I think she just needed the drive time more than anything else.
The next person I had was a young man -he was very motivated to get his license. He had already bought a car and was fixing it up and needed his license for a job. He was a pretty decent driver but needed a car on the road that he could use for the test. We rode together 4 times and then I took him for his test. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the cash on hand to pay for the test and was really discouraged. (Spectrum actually helps them take the test for free but the paperwork wasn’t yet done so I figured I’d loan him the money). He was really psyched so I fronted him the money and off he went with the examiner. In the mean time, I walked to an ATM to get some more. By the time I got back, he had passed on the first try and was ecstatic that he finally got his license.
I’m currently helping another young man practice before his test. He’s a little less confident – hadn’t driven in 2 years – and it may take a few more weeks before he’s ready.
The more I do this, the more I understand what fundamentals are tested by the DMV and it gets easier for me to help the next young person. The volunteer work is very enjoyable. Getting your license is still a “rite of passage” and, naturally, everyone I’ve worked with is nervous about going before the examiner. My experience has taught me a few things:
- Giving your car keys over to a young person is an offering of unconditional trust in that person. It’s funny to see their expression when, without any instruction or too many questions, I hand them the keys and say “let’s go”.
- Everyone needs a bit of self-confidence when taking a test and the few hours I spend with these folks helps them develop it. It’s fun to watch it develop in them as they practice.
- When you have something to offer, young people are usually willing to listen to the “voice of experience” and try hard to learn – and, in this case, their reward is a driver’s license.
- A license can be a real enabler for these people to become more self-sufficient. Sometimes it can help these people get to a job that they couldn’t via public transportation. Or it is a requirement of a job they’re applying for…
My work has now spread – I’m now helping some refugees from Bhutan learn to drive. A bit tricker as they are used to driving on the left (“wrong”) side of the road. But so far, no accidents and they are nervous just like the Spectrum youth.
Bill
