CTE spotlight: Phillip Mahn of Garland, TX traveled 765 miles for his love of trains and for Spoon River College’s Locomotive Mechanical Certificate, which is embedded in the Diesel and Power Systems Technology program.
He doesn’t remember the exact moment when he realized his passion for locomotives, but he does remember his mom taking him to a bookstore when he was young so he could get a train book. “No Thomas the Train for me,” he said. “I chose the Encyclopedia of Train History.” He still has that book.
Knowing his career path would include the rail industry, Phillip started searching for a locomotive training program. It led him to Spoon River College, a certified training center for the railway industry since 2019 through a partnership with the National Academy of Railroad Sciences (NARS), and Johnson County Community College in Kansas. It is one of the few such programs in the nation.
Phillip prefers quiet rural places and said finding the program he wanted in Canton “was like a lottery ticket out of the Dallas area.” Needing to work while here but with no transportation, he secured a student worker position in the SRC Community Outreach Office, as well with the college’s cleaning company–both things he could do while living on campus.
There was still a moment of panic when he realized that he didn’t have the funds necessary for both tuition and the required tools. He sought assistance with Career Link, which offers a variety of services to eligible individuals to help with overcoming roadblocks as they navigate career training or employment searches.
They were able to help him with the portion of tuition not covered by FAFSA and scholarships, as well as the cost of the tools. “They are the most kind and amazing people.” He says the same thing about many of the local people he has met since arriving in Canton.
Once he completes the program, which will culminate in an associate in applied science in Diesel and Power Systems Technology and a Locomotive Mechanical Certificate, he will head back south, maybe to the Arkansas area where he born, or maybe somewhere else. He’s not sure yet, other than it will be near a rail yard.
Learn more about the Diesel and Power Systems Technology program and the Locomotive Mechanical Certificate at Spoon River College by attending our Career and Technical Education Showcase, February 26, 9-11 a.m., in our VOTECH building on the Canton Campus!
Career and Technical Education Showcase Event
CTE Programs at Spoon River College
