Over the past three years, 16 international students from 10 different countries have obtained their driver’s licenses in the United States while attending Principia College. Becky Coles, a counselor at the Academic Advising and Success Center, has dedicated a significant amount of her personal time to helping international students learn how to drive.

Coles’ efforts began in 2022, when she worked as a resident counselor for Rackham. Through one-on-one conversations with students, she noticed that many students who wanted to learn how to drive ran into the issue of not having access to a car or a driving partner. 

“I saw that there was a need,” she said. Coles realized she could help, and that March, she assisted her first student in learning how to drive and obtaining a license.

Through trial and error, Coles said she has gotten her teaching “down to a science.” She and the student start at an empty parking lot to gauge comfort level and prior experience behind the wheel. Once the student feels ready, they move on to driving around campus, practicing three-point turns, stopping, and parking. 

With the basics down, Coles takes students to Jerseyville, about a 20-minute drive from campus, to practice driving around the small town. She finishes with the route used for the state driving test, which she says best prepares students for success.

She said students need to arrive early and be fully prepared to maximize their chances of being seen for a driving test. “If they want it, then they have to get up early,” Coles said, explaining that the Jerseyville Department of Motor Vehicles only accepts walk-ins. Additionally, international students must bring several required documents with them when visiting the DMV. “I get the list, and they are responsible for putting it all together, and then I make sure they have it all before we go,” she said.

Through years of driving with students, Coles said she has found it interesting to see the wide range of driving experience students bring from their home countries. She also noted that the cost of getting a license in the U.S. is far lower than in many other countries. 

One of those students is junior Ishmael Ochieng. “Becky was nice to offer her car,” he said. Although Ochieng had previous driving experience in his home country, Kenya, driving on the opposite side of the road and from the left side of the car was completely new for him. Ochieng also had to adjust to the number of stoplights and stricter driving laws in the U.S.

Coles’ willingness to help extended beyond experienced drivers to those learning for the first time. Senior Sarah Fakorede, who had never driven before, said Coles’ calm and patient demeanor helped her learn and pass her test. “She was so kind and made me feel comfortable,” Fakorede said. 

For Coles, working with students is more than rewarding. She said the first set of students she assisted “were both so excited when they passed; they gave me a big hug.” Her work has become part of a quiet tradition at Principia: seeing a need, stepping in, and helping others succeed.