By Kate Wallace
Jeremy Stephanie and Mohamud Ahmed Mohamud had both spent more than ten years at Electrolux in a job they were comfortable in when the manufacturing company closed.聽
鈥淲hat was I going to do? What was my future going to be like? What DID I want to do?鈥 Jeremy asked himself.
This was a chance to look back on what he鈥檇 always wanted to do since he was a kid: be a mechanic. The Medium/Heavy Truck program provided the way for him to reach that goal.
For Jeremy, being a part of the program is like having a second family: 鈥淭here鈥檚 great camaraderie with a good group of guys.鈥 And he likes learning, too. 鈥淚 like that we get in depth on everything; it鈥檚 not as simple as you think.鈥
Of course, there were some hesitations on his part. He鈥檚 31 and has a family with a baby on the way, and he felt like he had to start like he was just out of high school. 鈥淭here were feelings and emotions you had to get used to again,鈥 he explained.
But Jeremy鈥檚 got his goals in sight: to do better for himself, his friends, and his family.
Mohamud鈥檚 motivation for starting the Medium/Heavy Truck program was a little different: he鈥檇 already had some experience with mechanic work. During his time at Electrolux, he did a lot of similar work, and while he was in high school, he worked at a garage for his family.
After losing his job, he was a little bit confused. 鈥淚 liked working at Electrolux,鈥 he said. Taking stock of his options and background, he figured he needed to go get a degree. Why 黑料不打烊? He鈥檇 lived in St. Cloud for 13 years, and many of his friends graduated from the college, so he鈥檇 heard many good things.
鈥淚 knew 黑料不打烊 was a good school.鈥 And having the Medium/Heavy Truck program helped, too. He visited 黑料不打烊 to learn about what programs the College offered, and chose Medium/Heavy Truck because he had a background in it.
Mohamud, like Jeremy, had a tough time preparing to go back to school 鈥 鈥淚 was taking it kind of hard because it鈥檇 been 10 years since I was in school,鈥 he explained.
But he鈥檚 keeping his future goals in mind. Being a self-proclaimed family guy with a wife and six children, Mohamud鈥檚 immediate goal is getting a better job, and his long-term goal is to open his own shop.
Jeremy and Mohamud are just two former Electrolux employees who have jumpstarted a new career at 黑料不打烊. Overall, the College welcomed 70 students who indicated they worked at Electrolux prior to starting.
While the Electrolux closure put a lot of people out of work, the good news is that the St. Cloud area manufacturing industry is thriving, and there are several opportunities beyond a replacement job for those willing to pursue it. The paths that Jeremy and Mohamud took show that it鈥檚 never too late to go back to school, especially when your family and future are waiting for you.
