Written by: Ryan Moser
At 53, Ward is enrolled in trucking school and attending classes five days a week as he prepares for a career behind the wheel. This moment has been shaped by hard lessons, persistence, and the love he has for his kids. Now, one year after coming home and after a road filled with obstacles, Ward is ready to put the past in his rearview mirror.
With support from the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a reentry employment organization serving justice-impacted people, and armed with a new skill, Ward will soon be able to give his family a better life.
“I’m happy to be in school,” Ward says. “I’m looking forward to getting my CDL and getting back to work. CEO encouraged me to aim high…without their help, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”
Ward was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, in a working-class family that emphasized a strong work ethic. His father worked for General Motors, and his mother worked for AT&T. In high school, he fell in with the wrong crowd. Still, he eventually earned his GED, attended community college, and studied computer technology before moving into warehouse work.
His son was born when Ward was 24. When his boy was 2, Ward was sentenced to five years in the Michigan Department of Corrections on a drug-related conviction. The separation changed both father and son. Nationally, an estimated 684,500 people in state and federal prisons were parents of minor children in 2016, affecting roughly 1.47 million children – a reminder that incarceration reaches far beyond the individual serving a sentence.
When Ward returned home, he applied at dozens of companies but couldn't get hired because of his record. By then, his son was 8 years old and preparing to go back to school.
“I had to hustle selling CDs to make money for clothes and food,” Ward says. “My son wanted a Spider-Man backpack and things like that. You don’t want to tell your kids no.”
For Ward, the challenge was not only financial. It was about showing his son what responsibility looked like after a mistake. He wanted his child to see a father working, striving, and refusing to give up.
“I wanted him to see that Dad made a mistake but still worked to get better,” says Ward.
Ward ultimately raised his son from age 8 into adulthood. After 25 years without contact with law enforcement, he had another minor incident that resulted in 10 months in county jail. Upon release, he again encountered a familiar obstacle: finding an employer willing to give him a fair chance.
For six months, he searched for work without success. That’s when his probation officer recommended CEO in Pontiac.
Ward began transitional work on a city dump crew and met weekly with a job coach. After showing interest in getting his Commercial Driver's License (CDL), he took an assessment test offered by CEO and passed. Then the organization paid for his trucking-school tuition, his Department of Transportation physical, a pair of work boots, and bus passes to get back and forth to school. During training, they also provided a stipend to help cover gas and food.
“CEO has been a blessing to me in many ways,” Ward says. “I don’t know what I’d do without them. The staff got behind me immediately and went all in.”
As Ward studies hard in trucking school and school starts back up for his kids, he wants to keep setting a positive example for his son and daughter.
For Ward, back-to-school season is no longer only about the Spider-Man backpack he once worked hard to provide. It is about a father returning to the classroom himself, proof that education and opportunity can combine to open a new direction.
After earning his CDL, Ward plans to return to CEO’s transitional work crew while searching for a permanent driving job. His goal is straightforward: build a stable career and remain self-sufficient, all while being there for his family.
“I would tell someone to go to CEO if they are willing to work hard for the end goal,” says Ward. “Like I tell my son, work hard and good things will follow.”
