While getting an education may not always seem like the coolest thing to do, Jimmy Love knows the value!

Jimmy Love is a student in ASU-Newport’s Diesel Technology program.

“I’m used to, you know, making minimum wage, or a factory job making 11 or 12 an hour,” Love said. “I have a family now, so I wanted to make more money. So I chose the Diesel Technician program at Newport.”

He’s faced a lot of obstacles throughout his life.

“I wanted to drive trucks, but I’ve got a two-year-old daughter,” Love said. “Her mom passed last year in March. So it’s just me and her, you know what I mean, so I can’t just get on the road and leave her behind. So I chose the next big thing to driving trucks which is fixing trucks.”

Love said he looked at other programs, but the 9-month program at ASUN was the best fit.

“The fact that we are actually in the shop getting dirty, like we in an actual workshop,” Love said.

He enjoys getting hands-on experience. Students in the program work on trucks that are used and driven by students in Commercial Driver Training.

“These trucks are going back out so you can’t just try to piece something back together,” Love said.

Knowing he will enjoy his day-to-day job, Love looks forward to having more money in his pocket.

“I’ve never made like over $22, 000,” Love said. “It’s bridged the gap between poverty and middle class.”

A new classification that he wants his daughter to know he worked to achieve.  

“I want to prove to her that no matter what you are going through in life, there are people out here to help you if you are willing to do it,” Love said. “And it might seem tough, you know like me going from West Memphis to here every day and then from Jonesboro…everything I’m going through it going to pay off in the end.”

Love hopes he can be an example for others and help people see that education opens doors.

“Education is really a big thing that a lot of people in my community don’t look at, versus the basketball or the rapping,” Love said. “Education is like the lowest thing. People don’t really look at like oh, I need to go to school. Education is the key.”

Love plans to stay in the Northeast Arkansas area following graduation from the Diesel Technology program.

Click here to learn more about the program.