Carroll Shelby Leaves Mark On East Texas School

MT. PLEASANT - There are many celebrities who live right here in East Texas.

And one of those is automobile icon Carroll Shelby.

In Carroll Shelby's 86 years, he's done quite a lot.

After a stint in the Air Force, and working odd jobs for five years, the Leesburg native figured out his life's calling.

Shelby says, "I started fiddling around with sports cars, and three years later, was driving for a team in Europe. I knew I'd found my passion."

Little did he know— that passion would flourish into something bigger than he could ever imagine.

Shelby drove for many teams in the 50s, won several races, built the famed "Cobra" cars among many others— including the world renowned "Shelby Mustang."

But just as Mr. Shelby has changed the face of the auto industry, he's also changed the lives of many people, and a lot of it takes place at the Carroll Shelby Automotive Technology Program at Northeast Texas Community College in Mt. Pleasant.

Shelby says, "I think it's gonna be a very successful operation, that turns these people into something where they have a much more fruitful life."

NTCC's President Brad Johnson tells us, the automotive program reaches out to a certain group of people.

Johnson says, "These are young men who aren't particularly engaged by traditional public education."

Who, often times, risk chronic unemployment and instability.

Director Ron Hillman says, "We teach them not only technical skills, but networking skills and how to find jobs."

Hillman says, there are nearly 50 students enrolled in the program this semester, ranging in age from 18 to 55.

One of them— first year student— Nick Mashburn.

Nick says, "I love working with cars. It's what I've always done. I figure I might as well go to school and learn to do it right."

To Nick, Mr. Shelby is not only an icon— but a savior.

Shelby helped fund his education.

Nick says, "We made as much money as we could. He filled in the rest and made it possible for me to come here. My parents would have had to work overtime everyday."

It's an opportunity Mr. Shelby gives many of these students, like Nick, through scholarships.

And with the help of everyone at NTCC, Shelby tells us, it's only the beginning.

Nick says, "I just really want to thank the whole Shelby foundation. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here. I'd be a very unhappy individual."

Hillman says, "We want to guarantee their success. Their success is my success."

Something this Shelby foundation lives by.

As for automotive icon Carroll Shelby, he says, we can expect even more great things to come.

Shelby says, "I'll soon be 87 and I'm just warming up...."

When Carroll Shelby says, he's just warming up, he means it.

He tells us, this is his baby— his first automotive program.

He plans on expanding it to many other schools across the state.

And, he's also in the process of building new Fords.