Earning a Driver’s License is a Rite of Passage.
Driving. It’s the ultimate rite of passage in the western United States, with a driver’s license often serving as a ticket to mobility and freedom.
At Boys Ranch, learning to drive is an introduction to adulthood that comes with life lessons alongside the rules of the road.
Teenagers at Boys Ranch begin preparing for the driver’s test between their junior and senior years of high school.
After they earn their learner’s permit, they can begin driving with a licensed adult in the passenger seat. Thanks to donors, Boys Ranch has two student driver cars, equipped with the passenger brake for driving teachers, and two life skills coaches, Judah Brown and Cole Smith.
Each day at lunch, eager young drivers surround the two coaches, begging to get on the driving schedule to get closer to earning their licenses.
“It’s a big deal for them,” Brown said. “I remember getting my license and being excited, so I enjoy helping our teenagers become successful drivers.”
Highway Miles Turn Into Life Lessons
Teens first drive on the Boys Ranch campus, and then, as they gain confidence, they drive 22 miles to the nearest town of Vega, Texas, and try their skills on town streets, including practicing parallel parking.
“So what do you think you might do for a car when you graduate?” Brown inquires lightly. “Have you thought about it?”
The young drivers, while watching the highway, process their thoughts about how they might buy vehicles and arrange for insurance or maintenance or even what kind of career they want.
“That highway time is really good for kids to share their future plans,” Brown said. “I like to use that quiet time to help them evaluate the feasibility of their goals – what they’re going to need to do to achieve their dreams.”
If a student wants to attend college or trade school, Brown can ask about application deadlines and encourage the student to find out the pertinent dates and information needed.
They’ll discuss housing and what kind of work the student might want to pursue while in school. By the time the car reaches Vega, students turn their attention to the perils of parallel parking and making left turns safely.
In the back of their minds, however, they continue thinking about the future.
“It’s just one more way we’re preparing these students to be responsible adults,” Brown said. “After they graduate, we want them to be able to drive, get jobs and pursue their ambitions.”
Required Life Skills
Before leaving Boys Ranch, students will have learned these skills:
- Basic car repair
- How to rent an apartment
- How to prepare a resume
- Budgeting
- CPR
- First Aid
- Balancing a checkbook
- Food management