Porter County Career & Technical Center students put their skills to the test on Saturday morning, October 11. The Automotive Technology class performed free vehicle checks for citizens in preparation for the upcoming winter months. The students evaluated things like tire pressure, motor oil, and headlights.
Ethan Gniadek, senior at Valparaiso High School and PCCTC student, said, “Helping out the community in any way we can is always something we look forward to. We can also gain more experience and learn more skills by working with different kinds of cars.”
The career center makes it a point to expand learning outside the classroom. The students come from ten different high schools in the area and are taught by Instructors Tony Avalos and Karl Sickles. Not only does the Automotive Technology program provide a basic understanding of the new technologies and principles necessary to perform repairs, but also offers students the opportunity to work on vehicles.
Avalos said, “It’s great to see the kids doing some good in the community while also having fun. When you enjoy what you do it makes everything so much easier.”
The Porter Country Career & Technical Center offers several different programs, consisting of endless options. Students have the chance to pick their field of study and attend classes based on their interests. Often times the classes overlap, so students will be able to interact with students with different interests.
Jon Groth, Principal/Area Director of Career and Technical Education, firmly believes that career center events like this one help students gain the experience they need before they join the workforce.
Groth said, “Previously, these car checks were for the elderly but we decided to open it up to the public. The more experience, the better. These students are very mechanically minded, so we want to provide them with real life situations in which they have to interact with customers and explain complicated mechanical processes in basic terminology.”
It is apparent that the Porter County Career & Technical Center is going above and beyond to educate their students while also making a positive impact in the community. For more information, call 219-531-3170.