Demetrius Porter knows it’s never too late to start over.
When the COVID-19 pandemic created employment and housing challenges for Demetrius, a former teacher and media producer from Chicago’s West Side, he recalls wondering, “What am I going to do next?”
Then, a coworker told Demetrius about City Colleges of Chicago’s Future Ready initiative, which offers continuing education and college credit courses in high-demand fields at no cost to eligible students. Demetrius enrolled at Olive-Harvey College and earned his Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) this February.
“Within two weeks, I was in Gary at Schneider in a training center. This is the most money I’ve ever made,” he said.
Demetrius now works full time as a truck driver for Schneider National, a trucking and logistics company in Gary, Indiana. His advice to others looking for employment? “Don’t be afraid to switch careers. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.”