Student Describes Amazing Experience in Auto Tech
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #1Haydie Thrush, Sandwich, at work in the Auto Tech lab.
Being a young woman interested in the automotive industry, we tend to be the last put on the list to be hired as a mechanic or work in the line of a grease monkey. At the Indian Valley Vocational Center, anyone is welcome into any career choice they take interest or curiosity in. I have learned more in my Auto Technology class than I will ever remember in any school year of my life.
From learning how to properly turn a ratchet, to changing spark plugs in an engine, my year at Auto Tech will be the most memorable. Throughout this year, I’ve learned: The basics about cars that include checking your fluid levels, changing tires, replacing brakes, and even what parts of the car are essential to keep it running smoothly. I’ve learned about all the “need-to-have” tools that will help in working on a vehicle. We’ve covered topics such as how to handle your tools and what tools work better than others depending on the vehicle and activity. I’ve learned about how a car is labeled, like the VIN number, tire psi label, and the handler’s manual.
Students are given the opportunity to work on customers’ vehicles and even their own, and learn to correctly hoist a vehicle into a drive-in lift and drive-on lift. I have even learned how to use a diagnostic scan to find error codes in a car’s system and how to treat them. There are a ton of other things I have experienced at Auto Tech.
This class was truly an amazing experience for me. I have learned so much about something I take joy and heart in doing. I recommend this class to anyone that is interested in learning more about – or start from scratch – automotive cars from pedals to pistons. My amazing instructor (Mr. Dave Vincent) really puts his patience and effort into teaching his students what they want to learn. Being someone who had a lot of knowledge about cars at the beginning of the year, I still have learned so much this year. And I hope to know more my next year.