By Jenni

Metal Work Talent

The 2008 First-Year class is diverse with students of several different ages, ethnicities and goals. Most are straight out of high school this year but one gent is in it for a retirement goal to use the skills learned here to restore cars as a hobby, while another has already completed the Auto Tech program here at Butler and is rounding out his education in Auto Body Collision Repair.
I had a chance to get to interact with one of the students by help him fix his Wireless connectivity (ok I tried to help; Windows Vista can be a bugger, which is partially inexperience on my part). He was real cool dude and seemed to enjoy being here, and kind of knew his stuff. The instructor was hard at work keeping enthusiasm up. And we have one chick! Yay! Go girls. :) I hope she turns out to be one of our stars this year.
It’s a new year and new challenges. Slow start but with all the students hard work the semester will soon start shaping up. My hope is for all the students to make it to the end of the program. Knowing from experience however, that isn't always the case and more often than not it has a way of sifting out those whose heart really isn’t in it for whatever reason. With just two weeks into the semester they have just started to learn about the tools and operations, and labels/terms etc. For those who know most of that already, it feels interminably slow at first until you get to really work on a project or just any car.
They grinded bare the whole rear qtr of the wrecked cavalier sitting in the shop. I also heard them having a hey day pounding away with some hammers, and learning to work with the metal.
With 14 students there is more than enough to keep the teacher busy. I guess that is why I am here to help. :)