New KLLM scholarship to honor Mason Warren

School was always a struggle for Mason Warren. Book learning just wasn’t his thing; he was a hands-on kind of guy. So, when it came time to choose a career path, he and his family knew a four-year university education and an office job wasn’t the right one. Instead, he followed his passion for trucks to Hinds Community College’s Diesel Technology program – a logical path to follow since his dad Jim Warren works for KLLM Transport Services in Richland. “He finally knew his purpose,” recalled his sister, Mary Martin Warren.

After Warren finished the two-year Hinds program, he started working as a diesel mechanic for KLLM. He was there for eight years until the unimaginable happened.

After recovering from a bout with COVID-19, he collapsed in the parking lot of KLLM and passed away from a massive heart attack at age 27. “He was as healthy as a horse. It just came out of nowhere,” said KLLM CEO Jim Richards. “He was one of our super stars. He just really did a great job. Everybody loved him.”

As a tribute to Warren, KLLM is establishing a new scholarship that will eventually be awarded to a student enrolled in the Hinds Diesel Technology Academy for up to four semesters. The scholarship will have no special criteria but students must apply through the Hinds Community College Foundation scholarship process. Anyone interested in contributing to the scholarship can contact Robyn Burchfield, 601-857-3800, Robyn.Burchfield@hindscc.edu.

A few months before he passed away, his sister wrote an essay about her brother’s journey to working at KLLM.

“Once my brother had completed diesel mechanic school, he was able to start working as a full-time diesel mechanic at KLLM. My brother was starting his dream job,” she wrote. “Being part of the truck industry has changed my brother’s life. It showed him that you can love what you do. Working at KLLM as a diesel mechanic gave my brother a purpose and has truly been his saving grace.”