Jeffery Anderson has been named the Outstanding Faculty Award winner for Bevill State Community College’s Sumiton campus.
Anderson is a truck-driving instructor with 37 years of industry experience. This August will mark 10 years since he joined the Bevill State family as an instructor. He currently teaches night classes for the truck driving program in Sumiton.
For Anderson, trucking is in his blood. The Bagley native said his late uncle, Robert Anderson, his late father, James Anderson, and his father-in-law, James Green, all worked in the trucking industry.
“My uncle had 10 trucks at one time, and he got me into it. I was a mechanic and everything … and then I started helping him, I started driving, and one thing led to another. Then, my daddy had two trucks. He got into it. Then, my father-in-law got into it. I was just doomed from the start,” Anderson said with a laugh.
Anderson used to own a trucking company that hauled products for various clients. He recalled using his truck-driving skills to help haul debris following Hurricane Katrina years ago. Anderson is also a mechanic and once worked in the coal mines.
Being a truck driving instructor was never on Anderson’s radar; however, when the opportunity presented itself, he decided to give it a try.
“I didn’t know if I could do it or not. I knew how to drive a truck, but I didn’t know if I could teach anybody else how to drive a truck,” he said, admitting that teaching didn’t come easy, but he eventually became comfortable in the new career role.
As time passed, Anderson said he discovered a love for teaching, and his caring demeanor has allowed him to help many people learn a new trade and have a fresh start in life.
Anderson said of the trucking industry, “It’s a good career. CDLs are something you’ll always have and always use.”
He added, “I always tell the students, ‘You should never be without a job.’ … There’s always a demand for truck drivers. There’s such a shortage of truck drivers.”
People from all walks of life have come through Anderson’s classes — homeless individuals and others looking to turn their lives around, recent high school graduates, people looking for a new career, and others.
“The opportunities are endless. You can really go somewhere with this, and age doesn’t matter,” he said. “You can start out at 18. Used to, it was 21. Now, you can start out at 18. You’ve just got to stay within the state of Alabama, and then after you turn 21, you can go outside the state of Alabama.”
He said men and women of all ages have taken his classes, noting he has had students up to 70 years old.
But that doesn’t mean everyone has what it takes to make it in the program, Anderson said.
“You’ve got to have your heart in it. I tell every class before it starts: ‘If your heart is not in it, and you don’t have the want to, you won’t succeed,’” he said.
Anderson said he was shocked to be chosen by his peers to receive the Outstanding Faculty Award for the Sumiton campus.
“I really appreciate everybody voting for me to accept this award. It’s a great honor,” he said. “I appreciate them for thinking that much of me — not only as a teacher, but as a person.”
He continued, “I’ve never worked for any other college, but I’ve been around other colleges. Bevill State is the best. There are so many good people. It’s not about work. It’s about family. People treat you like they’re part of your family. It’s a good place to work.”
Anderson said he has been asked before how he would like to be remembered, and it’s for the work he’s doing now to positively impact the lives of his students.
“I would like to say that I’ve changed people’s lives forever. I’ve seen grown men cry when I give them that certificate, because I’ve changed their lives forever. That means more to me than anything else,” he said.
About Bevill State Community College (BSCC):
Bevill State Community College is a public, two-year, “open door” institution, committed to providing comprehensive education and educational support services for people in West Central Alabama and beyond. Bevill State is a member of the Alabama Community College System. Bevill State’s four main campuses and one instructional site offer university parallel and applied technology educational opportunities to over a quarter of a million people in a seven-county area. This service area spans over 4,600 square miles, from the Birmingham city limits to the Mississippi state line.
