The training vehicle used by Vickie’s Driving Academy sits outside the Adams County Training Center, where the school has operated for more than a year and continues to expand its services for local students. (Submitted photo)
Students participate in a classroom session at Vickie’s Driving Academy inside the Adams County Training Center, where in-person instruction and new online learning options give young drivers multiple paths to complete their required training. (Submitted photo)
By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
Vickie’s Driving Academy in West Union has become one of Adams County’s most valuable new services, restoring a vital resource for young drivers who previously had to leave the county for instruction. The business, owned and operated by Vickie Fulton and co-owned by her son, Kieth Eichenlaub, has now been operating for more than a year inside the Adams County Training Center. The location has proven to be ideal, not only because it is central and well known, but also because the state driver testing office now operates just steps away from Vickie’s classroom.
The foundation of the academy is rooted in a remarkable personal journey. Several years ago, Vickie was approached by A and J Driving School to train as an instructor while they were still serving Adams County. When the company relocated to Brown County after 13 years, she continued working for them while juggling a full time job. During the upheaval of the COVID pandemic, A and J expressed how much they regretted leaving Adams County and urged her to consider opening a school herself. She began the work, completed the needed steps, and prepared to launch her own academy in November 2021.
Before it could open, her life changed dramatically. In September 2021, Vickie contracted COVID and became critically ill. She was placed in a medically induced coma, put on a ventilator, and given little chance of survival. Doctors informed her family that they needed to prepare to withdraw life support. Her children and sister asked that she remain on the ventilator long enough for all of them to gather. When her son spoke to her at her bedside, she opened her eyes, giving doctors the first sign of response. Instead of removing life support, doctors performed a tracheotomy, a surgery she was told carried only a fifty percent chance of survival. She survived. She then spent twelve weeks in a specialized rehabilitation facility where she was given only a twelve percent chance of being removed from the trach or ever leaving the center. She beat those odds too.
The road back was long and exhausting. For more than a year she relied on oxygen around the clock. Determined not to spend the rest of her life in a recliner, she sold the chair the same day she made the decision to stand up again. She began contacting professionals for advice, revisited her plans for a driving school, and asked Kieth to become her partner. He agreed without hesitation. She said that step brought her peace of mind and ensured the business would have stability if her health ever declined again. Today, she says his involvement is one of the reasons the academy has grown so quickly.
Vickie also credits CPA Ron Lykins, who owns his own CPA firm in Columbus and is also her cousin. He visited her every Sunday during her hospital stay and throughout her rehabilitation. She said he has been one of her strongest supporters, offering guidance on both her health and her business decisions. She also receives support from another cousin who operates a CPA firm in Columbus, as well as a close friend who assists her with technical needs as she continues to grow the academy. All of them, she said, have been generous with their time and expertise.
With renewed determination, updated training, and refreshed licensing, Vickie opened Vickie’s Driving Academy on September 27, 2024. In a little over a year of operations inside the Adams County Training Center, she and Kieth have served more than 200 students from Adams, Brown, and Scioto counties. The location has been a major advantage. Students can often complete their final drive, be entered into the state system, walk down the hall to test, and then head straight to the BMV to obtain their license, all on the same day. The building also houses notaries, which further simplifies the process for families.
The academy continues to grow. Vickie has hired two new instructors and is currently training a third. The team includes individuals with backgrounds in youth sports, transportation, and business ownership, including a retired Greyhound driver and former Adams County school bus driver. Their qualifications matter because they work directly with teens and their families, and Vickie is selective about who she brings onto her team.
To better accommodate busy students, especially those involved in sports or extracurricular activities, the academy now provides online links that allow students to complete their 24 required classroom hours at their own pace. Vickie still encourages classroom participation when possible because she has seen how well in-person students retain the material, but she is glad to offer multiple learning paths so families can choose what works best for them. The academy will also begin offering a 24-hour classroom training session in December, and students under 21 can call (937) 779-6395 for registration information.
As the academy grows, Vickie has also been working directly with local schools. She is partnering with districts across Adams County to establish designated maneuverability practice areas so students can safely practice with parents or guardians after school hours. Peebles, North Adams, West Union, and the CTC in West Union have already approved the idea, and Manchester and the Adams County Christian School are expected to confirm soon. She is also providing schools with safe driving posters from the Ohio Department of Public Safety to raise awareness among students about distracted driving, texting and driving, and impaired driving.
For Vickie, the driving school is about far more than business. It is about service, safety, and providing guidance to teens who may need encouragement at a critical point in their lives. “If I can influence them in a positive way or plant a seed that helps them believe in themselves, that is what matters,” she said. She is grateful for every family who has trusted her with their children. “Thank you to the parents for trusting their students with me and thank you to the students for their word of mouth advertising. Without them this business would not be successful.”
As Vickie’s Driving Academy moves forward into its second year at the Adams County Training Center, the work continues to expand, adapt, and serve the region. What began as a dream nearly cut short has become a thriving, meaningful service for families across southern Ohio, built on resilience, determination, and a deep commitment to helping the next generation travel safely into adulthood.
