BEAVERTON, OR (KATU/CNN) - Lois Lents, Sheryl Van Derwalker and Dominique Kuzmaak still remember the joys and struggles of learning to drive.
The driving instructors from Driving Solutions International are excited to bring the sense of freedom to women in Saudi Arabia.
They will embark on a 10-day in a few days to establish a driving school for women there. The country is the only one in the world that still prohibits women from driving and will open up the roads to them this summer.
Lents has taught thousands of drivers during her years as an instructor.
"You got to be relaxed as a driving instructor," Lents said.
Lents is part of a trio of women who are set to teach new drivers the rules of the road.
"This one let's us check the driver's eyes," said Lents during a test.
They remember how difficult it was for them at first.
But these driving lessons will be much different.
“I am humbled to be standing at this historic moment and to play any part in it at all,” Lents said.
It's vital they go to Saudi Arabia since the country only allows women to teach other women. There are no female driving instructors in the entire country.
"We're starting from Ground Zero," Lents said.
They expect to go back later in the spring.
Learning to drive could provide an open road to women there in their fight for equality.
“They estimate that nine million of them want to drive right now,” said Van Derwalker, another driving instructor. “How do you do that?”
The instructors just found out about this opportunity a month ago.
“First it was Saudi Arabia, ‘You got to be kidding me,’ ” she said. “And then it was like ‘yes, oh yes, I'll go. ' "
Their excitement hasn't worn off.
But they are worried, knowing that if something goes wrong it could be a hurdle in the fight for the freedom for millions of Saudi women.
“There will be a group of people that do not want this change to happen,” said Kuzmaak. “And we need to get this right so that we can prove that it works.”
The women will also work on ensuring women aren't subject to additional rules or regulations to get a driver's license.
The country doesn't have very rigorous standards for male drivers at the moment.
Copyright 2018 KATU via CNN. All rights reserved.
