Austin Kohls
TCA SCHOLARSHIP
$2,725
McLeod Software Corporation
Birmingham, Alabama
The trucking industry is one that has been attached to my family for years before I was ever born. My step-dad is currently an employee of McLeod Software, but my connection to the trucking industry goes all the way back to my grandfather, who founded and ran a trucking company called TeamOne. That company is where the industry began to affect my life, as my grandfather’s role in that company is what paved my way to becoming who I am today. That company provided for us, and my grandfather’s work allowed me to participate in the sports and extracurricular activities that have shaped me. While that company was the primary factor in funding the activities I participated in, it offered opportunities to learn about how business and the world as a whole works. Watching my grandfather work tirelessly to provide for both our family and his employees taught me the value in working hard and doing things the right way, two qualities that I have tried to emulate in my own life. It laid the foundations for who I want to become: someone who does all the things necessary to succeed, but never cuts corners or succeeds at the expense of others. While that company became the basis for who I have and want to become, currently my step-father’s work for McLeod has provided for who I want to be in the present. His diligent work to provide for our household and help fund my education has added to my motivation to succeed in the classroom and professionally. Without his work, and without this industry, I would likely be on a completely different path than the one I’m on now, and for that, I am forever grateful.