Where Stories Live

Where Stories Live with Avery Hutchins S2 Ep2

Season 2 Episode 2 | 28m 9sVideo has Closed Captions

The perseverance of Legrand Sommers and his journey to become a mechanical engineer.

In this episode of Where Stories Live, we explore the journey of Legrand Sommers, a McMinnville resident that pursued his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer that specializes in Robotics from Motlow College. His journey was not easy, and at times he found himself homeless and without transportation, but with the help from others and his own grit he was able to persevere.

12/04/2023

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Where Stories Live is a local public television program presented by WCTE PBS

Where Stories Live

Where Stories Live with Avery Hutchins S2 Ep2

Season 2 Episode 2 | 28m 9sVideo has Closed Captions

12/04/2023

Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback

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- In this episode of "Where Stories Live," we explore the journey of LeGrand Sommers, an individual who exemplifies unwavering perseverance and resilience. Despite facing countless challenges, including homelessness and significant setbacks, LeGrand remained steadfast in pursuit of becoming a mechanical engineer. (upbeat music) - [Narrator] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you. (upbeat music) - Thank you for choosing WCTE PBS as your preferred station throughout the year. Your unwavering viewership greatly contributes to the growth of this station. If you have not yet become a member, now is the perfect time. Your monthly contribution of $5 ensures that WCTE is accessible to everyone with entertaining programming. I hope this holiday season, you'll consider becoming a member of WCTE and give the gift of lifelong learning all year. - I am Mike Galligan with the Law Offices of Galligan and Newman in McMinnville, Tennessee. I support WCTE, the Upper Cumberland's own PBS station because I believe it is important to create entertaining TV programs that also promote lifelong learning and understanding. When I support WCTE, I know that I am helping our Upper Cumberland community for generations to come. - [Voice-over] The Law Offices of Galligan and Newman provide clients with large firm expertise and small firm personalized care and service. - I got into that class to take a test with Paul Sand, and I was just staring at it and I was like, "I don't even know what one plus one is.

" Like, I was like, I was about in tears and I was like, I just turned it in and Paul was like, "LeGrand, what is this? "You know, you basically have a 4.0. "How are you gonna just... "LeGrand, just sit down.

" And I was like, "I can't. "I don't know what this means.

" And that's when I just broke down. I was like, I don't, I don't... I was like, "I see the light at the end of the tunnel "and I just lost it all. "I won't be able to finish school. "I won't be able to get a job.

" (uplifting piano music) - I'm Avery Hutchins, the host of "Where Stories Live.

" In this episode, we delve into the life of LeGrand Sommers a mechanical engineer from McMinnville, Tennessee. However, what many are unaware of is the fact that LeGrand faced a near devastating setback before his graduation from Motlow College. It was only through the unwavering support of a few individuals who believed in him that this story took a different turn. LeGrand's journey is one of triumph over obstacles, which includes a period of homelessness. - My growing up years were really, really hectic. I grew up with nine siblings and I had three brothers and six sisters, so I was number seven. My mom just really cared for us, did so much for us, and in a way probably spoiled us because, you know, she may have not been like lovey-dovey-type, hug you all the time things, but she really showed how much she cared about you through what she sacrificed for you. My dad was a hard worker. He somehow provided for us all through just commission based on lease sales throughout his entire life. - So, we have 10 children in our family, and I'm the oldest of the 10, and he's the seventh, and we're 14 or 15 years apart. LeGrand and I were instantly connected when he was born. I was obsessed with him when he was a baby, and we just loved each other so much. He was my little honey sugar lollipop. That's what I called him. He had so much energy. He was always running around, jumping on the furniture, always into something. I mean, constantly, from the time he was crawling until probably middle school, he was just a ball of energy. - I first met LeGrand probably when I was six to eight, somewhere in between there. And I just remember him, we were at church, and he was sitting on the stack of chairs, and was pretty well-behaved for the most part, I feel like. And so I was sitting down in my seat watching this guy sit on the chairs, and I just thought it was funny. - By the time I got to high school, I was pretty smart in the ways that I could make good grades without really trying. But then after my freshman year, I think I started just getting really rowdy and acting crazy. And I think because I was probably bored, I just wanted to just, I saw that tension I would get from being bad, so I completely stopped thinking about making good grades. - Growing up, we were of course part of a large family, and with that comes a lot of difficulties in that our parents weren't able to give everybody one-on-one attention that they needed. And because of that, I feel like there was a lot of acting out, trying to get attention, not necessarily knowing that's what he was doing, but, and then again, we were raised in a very religious home. There was a lot of expectations, and I think it was hard for him to live up to those expectations. - I got to my freshman year and I almost had like a 4.0 that year. And then I got in trouble for the first time. I got like ISS or OSS, and I think I just, I stopped trying. So I didn't know who I was or I didn't really have any true goals. So by the time I got done with high school, I felt like a failure 'cause I was like, "I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life.

" - LeGrand, a recent high school graduate, had his eyes set on the future. However, his therapist diagnosed him with ADHD, a learning disorder that made it difficult for him to concentrate on his studies. His living situation and limited finances only added to his struggles. As the workload increased, he found himself uncertain about the path he should take in life. - I first started going to a two-year community college in Chattanooga, and the reason I started choosing to do that was 'cause I had two friends, specifically my friend Jesse Bradford and Conner Hurston, like, they really did push me to, they would tell me, "Hey, LeGrand, you're smart enough. "You could go to school.

" - At one point we both were in school together, which is something we've never, like, in middle school, high school, we never were in school together. We was always outside of school that we kind of grew our relationship. And so this is the first time we were in school together. So he was in engineering side of things and I was in nursing school. He was just struggling 'cause he hated, he just hated all the book work. He wanted to be out there. This is an adventurous guy. He wanted to be out there doing. He wanted to get his hands dirty, - I realized I wanna work with my hands, so I chose to try to become a mechanical engineer. And as I was going through that schooling, it just felt like, "Hey, I can do this. "I'm doing really good at school.

" But I also wanted to pay for it all myself, so I never wanted to take out loans. I never wanted to do anything of that nature. - He went to a university, and at first everything was going well. And then we started to notice he was struggling, and I think that his ADHD came into play later on in the university classes, when he was trying to get into the engineering program. - I'd noticed that he was struggling with some other areas, with some of the classes. And I told him, I said, "Hey dude, I understand. "I'm not the smartest guy, but you can get through this. "You just have to do a couple things "that I think will really make you successful.

" I'd sit there and go over just simple things, like making a calendar. And I said, "You gotta look "at this calendar every single day.

" He had so much going on. Once his mom passed, I mean, there was a huge, empty void, 'cause LeGrand's the kinda guy that would just call you up and say, "Hey, what are you doing?

" And he loved doing that with his mom. He loved doing that with his mom. He had a huge void on top of struggling with school. - Before my mom passed away, I think he was on the verge of giving up. He was having a really hard time with school and certain professors. And then after she passed, I think a fire was lit underneath him and he felt like he had to finish for her. And so he started studying more, and he wanted to make it happen more than ever. - But he was seeing how incredibly difficult it was to go to school, to do engineering. And I would just kind of help him through 'cause his mom was pretty much who he would talk to about that. I wasn't trying to be his mom, but I was just trying to be, (heartfelt music) I was trying to be as good of a friend as I could. He would just make things happen, you know? And that's what I like about his personality, too, where I admire about him, so. - Since completing his high school education, LeGrand has always taken great pride in his self-reliance and his ability to support himself. However, as time went on, he found it increasingly challenging to manage with limited resources. Consequently, LeGrand was compelled to resort to extreme measures in order to pursue his university degree while also ensuring he had enough to eat. - Every time I tried to save money, I would think, "Okay, let me figure out a way "to save on gas mileage.

" So I tore out all the seats of my car, the back seats, the front seat, tore out the radio and I was just, "I'm gonna save gas money that way.

" So I got my Honda to be able to make 43 miles to the gallon. I would try to never stop when I was driving that car. So if a red light was coming up, I would just throw it into neutral and coast for, like, you know, two miles trying to, so as soon as it turned green, I could just throw it back into second gear and keep going. I probably started getting my health to deteriorate because I would think, "What can I eat? "I don't like to cook, so what can I eat to save money?

" So I started doing things like just eating peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had made a certain bad deal trying to get outta so that I could live for nearly free. I moved into another house out there in Chattanooga to try to, basically, if I flipped the house while I was going to school, then I would get a certain amount of the profit. And then while I was going through school, all of a sudden I was told to get out of the house in three days, and I was in the middle of a semester. Both cars I had that got rear-ended, totaled. I no longer have any cars. So all these things were happening while I'm trying to get through that university in Chattanooga, that when I lost that house, I was, like, shocked. I was like, "What just happened? "I've tried so hard to save all my money "and I just lost everything to my name.

" I started thinking about, "Okay, I never want to lose my house again. "I never want to be at risk "of just not being in control of my life.

" And so I started thinking about, I saw the tiny home movement and that, so I took, I think it was $3,000 and bought a square box made out of garage door panels. And it had a small AC unit in it, it had a light bulb and some cabinets and a mini fridge. So I bought that, I took it home, and then I made this decision, "Okay, I know for me to get through university, "the only way is if I take all this money "and just apply it to that degree and I can't work anymore, "because I know that for me to focus, "I cannot have these distractions.

" So I just posted something on like a yard sale on Facebook and said, ""Who will let me live in your backyard for $100 a month?

" I told 'em, "I have this little meter, "and I'll just, I'll keep track "of all the electricity I make. "I only wanna pay $100, "but we can make sure that I'm not using any money.

" - He had no running water, no electricity, so he didn't have the basic needs that you would need in a home. He would eat at the Senior Citizen Living Center 'cause they had $3 meals on a certain day, and he talked about how he would shower with a hose sometimes in the backyard if the neighbors let him use their hose. - LeGrand smelled so bad. His feet smelled so bad, and I would say, "LeGrand. "Hey, how about we shower or something? "Let's go wash your feet.

" And I don't think he really realized where he was at, because he was trying so hard to keep his head above water. - And that is how I saved most of my money. I think I was living off of roughly $500 a month. - I feel like everyone knew LeGrand was homeless but him. He would come over to my house. I would send him home with some food, 'cause his mom always did that for me, so it was like I had to just reciprocate. I'm trying not to cry, 'cause, yeah, but, so yeah, I don't, yeah. - During this period, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the closure of public buildings, and unfortunately, LeGrand had his car stolen, followed by the theft of his motorbike. Additionally, he faced the financial burden of increasing student fees, which ultimately led him to make the difficult decision of discontinuing his university education. As a result, he had no choice but to sell his tiny home and move in with his girlfriend to her grandfather's home in Sparta. It was during this time there that LeGrand discovered Motlow College and the Tennessee Reconnect Program, which he saw as a potential opportunity to finally finish his degree - After maybe a year and a half of going to Motlow, I really liked it. I really liked the mechatronics program. I couldn't believe I was learning things that my internship, even maybe the engineers there didn't know so well, that I was like, "Wow, I'm learning something. "I'm adding value to myself in a way.

" My second to last semester of Motlow, that was when her grandpa had died. So in the middle of the dead winter or right before December, I was like, "What am I gonna do?

" I have one class left after this semester. I have a certain amount of time before finals. I no longer have a place to live. I was like, "Ooh, well, shoot.

" I just, I don't know what to do.

I was so scared. I no longer had a car anymore because that same semester I hit a deer and it just crushed my truck. I'm now being super, super dependent on my girlfriend, who at that point in my life, I thought, "I've tried so hard. "I've never been dependent.

" I felt like a failure. I didn't know where I was gonna have to sleep that night, and I, I got into that class to take a test with Paul Sand, and I was just staring at it and I was like, "I don't even know what one plus one is.

" Like, I was like... So I just like, I was about in tears and I was like, I just turned it in, and Paul was like, "LeGrand, what is this? "You know, you've made good... "You know, you basically have a 4.0. "How are you gonna just... "LeGrand, just sit down?

" And I was like, "I can't. "I don't know what this means.

" And he was like, "What's going on?

" And that's when I just broke down. I was like, I don't, I don't... I was like, "I see the light at the end of the tunnel, "and I just lost it all, "and I won't be able to finish school. "I won't be able to get a job.

" Paul was like, "Hey, just sit tight. "I'm gonna help you. Like, just sit tight. "Where are you planning on going tonight?

" And I was like, "I don't know. "I'll probably sleep in my car or whatever I gotta do.

" But I was like, "It doesn't matter. "I'm gonna finish this semester, "and I won't even get the take next semester "'cause I won't have enough time to save up "for paying off this semester and the next semester.

" I was like, "I failed.

" Then he came back with Ms. Paz, and they're like, "We want to help you out tonight. "We want to help you have a place to sleep "until the end of the semester.

" I was like, "I don't even need that.

" I said, "I just want to finish school.

That's all I want.

" And they're like, "Well, don't worry about that. "We'll help you out.

" And so they put me up in a hotel that night, and I was like, I was so embarrassed. I was like, "I don't need help.

" I was like, "This is not hard for me to sleep in a car. "School is hard for me.

" They put me up for the night, and that kind of changed my perspective on I think I need to get help. And then that's when I really got to know Larry, Larry Flatt for the first time. And he was like, "LeGrand, I can't promise you anything, "but I'm gonna work for you.

" He said, "So just hang on. "I'm gonna help you out.

" And like, that was the first piece I felt about maybe I was gonna have a chance, 'cause I felt like I had somebody here fighting for me. - I had the privilege of being the dean of the Mechatronics Program when I became aware of LeGrand and some of the challenges that were being presented to him. And that came through one of the instructors, who had had a conversation LeGrand about an atypical performance on one of his tests. And he began to find out that there were some challenges going on in his life and made me aware of those. And as we worked with LeGrand, then I had an opportunity to meet with him, to talk with him, to understand there were some financial challenges going on. There were some other things in his personal life that became very obvious very quickly as we talked to him. And so, as we worked through those things, Motlow being the caring facility it is, we're not just academics. We are a family and we work hard to make sure that all our students are successful. So being aware of those situations, our team came together and began to work with LeGrand, sometimes behind the scenes, sometimes pretty overtly. And we were able to put him in a position to be able to complete his degree program. Daily we have individuals who cannot find sufficient food. They don't have clothing. And so there's several examples that one could give, but without being very specific about individuals per se, I can just say that just not unlike our society, there are people who need help, who need support, who need encouragement, and we provide that. - And so Larry came in and helped me out, and helped be able to afford that last semester and everything. And, I don't know, that's when everything started changing for me for the good. (heartfelt music) - LeGrand Sommers, through an unwavering determination and remarkable resilience, paved his own path towards a promising future. Motlow College and its staff exemplifies grace and compassion, which undoubtedly contributed to their ongoing achievements with former students. LeGrand Sommers is a notable example of their successful alumni. - LeGrand and I communicate fairly frequently because when he graduated, given the plight he was in, he landed a very, very good job as a field service technician with a company called Universal Robotics. - LeGrand inspires me because he's willing to do things people aren't willing to do. You know, like, he was willing to be homeless, which a lot of people... In his case, I actually think it helped. I'm not saying that he should be homeless, I'm saying I think it helped him, really, he didn't have anything to lose. He could go all out. You know, some people, I think we have a house or something holding us back and it was like actually, it didn't hold him back. - I'm so proud of LeGrand. I just feel like he had so many hardships that he faced, and to overcome those, I just feel such an admiration for what he went through and to where he is now, and it just makes me feel like a proud big sister. - Well, LeGrand is a role model for our other students. His plight in life has shown others and will show others that you can overcome if you just persevere and push forward, and then ask for the help you really need. - So, today I'm working as a field service engineer for Universal Robots. They are the largest cobot manufacturer in the world. They're based out of Denmark, and the company is just so fantastic. I've been able to travel all over the United States, around the country. I've been to headquarters in Denmark, and I still like to camp every chance I get when I go on these field service trips. And so I do a lot of camping, and life's a lot easier now. (inspirational music) - LeGrand Sommers sought help, and his decision to do so enabled him to obtain the necessary resources that ultimately helped him graduate from Motlow College with his degree. If you or someone you know requires support in returning to school, we urge you to explore Tennessee Reconnect Program, which offers free tuition. Your dreams, just like LeGrand's, can also become a reality. Thank you for tuning in to this episode, and we hope you will join us next time, when we go "Where Stories Live.

" (uplifting piano music) (bright music) - I am Mike Galligan with the Law Offices of Galligan and Newman in McMinnville, Tennessee. I support WCTE, the Upper Cumberland's own PBS station because I believe it is important to create entertaining TV programs that also promote lifelong learning and understanding. When I support WCTE, I know that I am helping our Upper Cumberland community for generations to come. - [Voice-over] The Law Offices of Galligan and Newman provide clients with large firm expertise and small firm personalized care and service. - I hope you enjoyed this episode of "Where Stories Live.

" Your annual donation to WCTE not only gives and maintains this program, but also facilitates the development of additional regional content. In addition to supporting local programming, your monthly contribution of $5 guarantees engaging and educational content. During this festival season, I encourage you to join WCTE as a member and give the gift of lifelong learning throughout the year. (upbeat music) - [Narrator] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you. people aren't willing to do. - In this episode of "Where Stories Live," we explore the journey of LeGrand Sommers, an individual who exemplifies unwavering perseverance and resilience. Despite facing countless challenges, including homelessness and significant setbacks, LeGrand remained steadfast in pursuit of becoming a mechanical engineer.

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Where Stories Live is a local public television program presented by WCTE PBS