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Grant Showalter meets with students in the adult education program at Southeast Community College as a tutor. He also helps students in the UPWARD program navigate the Professional Truck Driver Training program. It’s a big deal because not long ago he was an UPWARD student himself.

“I meet with them about once a week,” Showalter said. “When I have time, I also try to put a lot into this program because it’s a big deal for me.”

He was first incarcerated in his early 20s, and after returning to prison multiple times, he decided to try something new.

He was in the first professional truck driver training class offered by the UPWARD program while he was incarcerated, but later decided he wanted to do something different—give back.

“I thought it was probably a different career opportunity for me,” Showalter said about the CDL program. “But then, something in my heart just said that I really wanted to give back. In my journey, being incarcerated, I really wanted to take a look at myself as a person and help others that have been in my situation.”

Showalter started as a part-time tutor at SCC in 2024, and moved into a full-time position in 2025. He approached program director Amy Doty and asked if there was a way to volunteer his time to students. She helped him get involved, and before long he was working for the college.

“I look at my incarceration not as a downgrade,” Showalter said. “I look at it as an upgrade because I had to be at the lowest of the low to get to where I’m at. I just want to share with others there are ways to be successful, and sometimes it takes numerous conversations, numerous incarcerations to get where you’re at.”

As part of the UPWARD staff he gets to make a difference in the same way people like Doty made a difference in his life. Students get someone they can trust who has been in their shoes, and he gets a chance to prove why the program works.

“The staff really care about who they work with,” Showalter said. “This program helped me grow as a person and see that no matter what you’ve gone through, there’s possibility. I think I’ve opened doors for myself because being transparent about what I’ve done in my past and being able to share that with current students is a great feeling.”

Damon Bennett
Activities Information Director
402-437-2077
dbennett@southeast.edu