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National Geographic : 1970 Dec
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Jimwas a chip off the old block. No job.No schooling. No hope. Jim's father never really had a chance. He came north right after World War II. But he just wasn't equipped to work in the industrial north. He had little schooling. No training. So all his working life most of the jobs he could get were menial and part-time. With little hope for anything better. Jim, without knowing it, was on his way to be coming his father. He spurned school. Missed classes. Didn't study. Was thinking of dropping out. And the future was a big blank. Then in his junior year, Jim started to do a slow but sure turnabout. He dropped the idea of dropping out. And started working hard to stay in. He went to all his classes. And really started digging the books. What makes a young man like Jim change? A youngster who didn't believe in the future. One who saw the future as a lot of stupid little jobs. And never enough money. No one knows. Not even Jim. But one of the things Jim always mentions was a new course he took at his high school in New York City. A professional automotive course initiated by Shell Oil Company. With Shell providing the lesson plans, the sophisticated electronic tune-up equip- ment and various learning materials. Jim says he sparked to the course immediately. He was intrigued by the fancy equipment. And liked the idea of diagnosing sick engines. But more important than that, Jim started to see himself differently. He began to realize that he could become something... if he learned something. And the idea took hold. Today Jim is well on his way. He's a sopho more in a New York City college, studying hard to be an engineer. Jim is not the only success story in this course. So far, over 100 young men have graduated. Many have gone on to good paying jobs in automotive and aircraft repair. But the real surprise: many of the youngsters have gone on to college. Shell was delighted with the results. So they extended the course to 12 other high schools. With 25 more to follow. There are a lot of young men out there just like Jim. Youngsters who can and want to be something. All they need is a chance. Shell wants to help even more of them get that chance. (Jim is a real person. But his name is not Jim.)
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