“Remarkable things have been happening for me since I came to SER,” said Dentonious W., age 47.

Originally from Waterloo, Iowa, Dentonious was seeking a second-chance at life. After spending 17 years in Federal Prison, Dentonious was released to the Liedel Center in Houston and was anxious to get back out into the world.

“During my stay at Liedel, I talked to the job development specialist,” said Dentonoius, “and she recommended that I call SER to see about their training classes. So that’s exactly what I did.”

Dentonoius had taken HVAC (Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning) classes during his incarceration and hoped to augment what he had learned by taking welding training. 

“When I contacted SER I was pleased to find out they were about to start a welding course, so I applied and that’s how it all began,” said Dentonoius, “I had never really considered a welding career previously – never thought of myself as a welder – but during my HVAC classes, I learned brazing, and the concept of brazing is the same [as welding], it’s just applied a little differently.

I believed I could build on my HVAC training through this course. I thought welding would enhance my skills, as far as HVAC. I thought I could couple them together, and get a better job.”

But SER’s welding course opened up new opportunities for Dentonious.

“As I went through the training I realized that I really enjoyed it, and from then on it became a focus and an adventure,” said Dentonious, “every day I would come to class and learn something new, something more, and I found that it was fun.

The course was way more than I expected; it was a whole other world that I had never explored before and opened up so many possibilities that I never knew existed. Learning this new skill has been an adventure for me.”

“Years ago, I performed inspections – a type of quality control; I liked to perform audits, things like that. But with welding, I found that it requires a lot of intelligence and patience, and I really enjoyed what I was learning.

During his incarceration, things had changed tremendously and Dentonious missed out on lot.

“They world kept moving forward while I was gone, so not only was the welding training an adventure for me, but the whole concept of being free again has been an exciting journey,” said Dentonious, “There is constant change, everything was new every day - there is so much to see and learn. I love it.

When I finished the welding program, it was bittersweet. I had grown close to others in the class and was used to seeing them every day, but now I had this training behind me and could go out and find a good job. I had a new kind of freedom.”

After the course was complete, ProSource Staffing contacted Dentonious and set him up with a job at Travis Body & Trailer. Travis Body & Trailer, Inc. started in 1989 and has built more than 14,000 trailers; they have a reputation for quality, resulting in a rapidly growing population of repeat customers.

 “They wanted me to start right away.” said Dentonious, “SER opened up a whole new world to me. I never saw myself in this line of work ten years ago, but now I am so glad to be a welder. I am creating and controlling something, and it’s exciting. It’s not easy; there are procedures and precautions to know and that have to be followed. But it is so rewarding.”

Dentonious is pleased to have the chance to speak about his experience at SER and views it as an opportunity to pay it forward by spreading the word so that more individuals like him are able to seek out the help and support that he received.

“I have told so many people about SER so that they can find a way to improve their lives and increase their chances of success,” said Dentonious, “my experience at SER turned out to be so much more than I expected.”

SER career coach Freeland Little worked with Dentonious: “Mr. Washington is very respectful and extremely determined to succeed. He has acknowledged past errors and strives to make positive decisions that will affect his present and future. He was a joy to work with.”

Now life is going well for Dentonious, and he appreciates the important things, such as family and work.

“I am engaged to be married, and my children want to move here to be closer to me. I try to keep them inspired. And, there are more opportunities here. 

“When I was introduced to SER, I knew the training would be a challenge – it’s  three month course,” said Dentonious, “but I had the attitude that failure is not an option, and I’ve held on to that. If I mess up, I keep trying, using any obstacle as a springboard to go further and accomplish more.”

Today Dentonious lives a life of integrity and wants to use his captivating story to motivate people.

“I want to be involved in the process of edifying and encouraging others,” said Dentonious, “I’ve been fortunate and I want to inspire others to make better choices. Sometimes it’s less about knowing where you’re going and more about making the right choices in the moment.”

SER has done me a great justice; the staff has been wonderful and encouraging,” said Dentonious, “for people who are struggling, I would encourage them to get to SER; there is definitely a program there to help.”