Auto shop offers services for locals, opportunities for students

Jack Porter is enjoying another year of teaching students the skills they will need to be successful in the auto business if they chose to pursue it. Porter has been leading the program for 10 years, guiding and overseeing the students’ progression as they come and go.

“We have had many students who through the program have been successful after high school due to their experience and took advantage of taking the class,” said Porter.

The auto shop students are kept busy with cars to work on from locals who are in need of service work. Porter and his students offer service for any community member at no service cost, and only charge for the parts.

“I currently have them working on quite a few projects. There’s work being done on the front brakes and hubs on a Dodge truck, they are working on the radiator and cooling systems on a Chevy, and we’re checking engine lights on a Mitsubishi and Ford as well as its front end alignment and mounting and balancing tires,” said Porter.

Along with auto, the GHS vocational programs are for anyone who desire hands on, real world experience in something they are interested in. They have been the foundations for many students’ post-high school careers, and have helped them in preparing for the workforce.

“The students are learning through hands on work as well as real life lessons, such as respect for peers and elders, how to work/collaborate with others, and being on time which is so simple but very important,” said Porter.

The students in the program enjoy freedom and individuality, but are held responsible for their work and are prompted to adapt to the mature environment.

Students handle anything from an oil change to engine work, and some are taking advantage of the opportunity to learn a trade and get experience as they start to figure out their post-high school plans.

“The class is very beneficial because it prepares you for the real world,” said senior Steve LeBlanc, who has taken auto all for years. “You get a sense of the real world and the impact of what you do. It helps in figuring out what you want to do.”

“The class teaches you independence by putting you on a job,” continued LeBlanc. “You are forced to figure things out your own and have to think for yourself. It really give you a sense of pride and accomplishment when you finish a job or help someone else in the program.”

LeBlanc and his classmates enjoy the class, as they get a chance to take a class that interests them.

“Please come see and experience the program for yourself. It is a great program for students and the community,” said Porter, who believes in the benefits of taking his class. “Why go anywhere else for any car work you need? GHS auto is a cheap option that is beneficial to the community.”