Some of may know I became an Auto Collision Instructor at my old High School this past school year. It's been a HUGE challenge and has consumed pretty much all my spare time, so if I've drug my feet shipping or paying for something it's been due to my schedule which every minute of every day is consumed with school related task, customer cars, daily life stuff, and trying to find a few minutes to work on my stuff, and if I've affected your build by me holding up the works in any way I sincerely apologize. Anyone that's been to my shop or knows me knows I don't stop and have a 40x100 shop filled with other people's projects. That's not the real reason for this post, the reason is if you guys have a family member's kid or any teenage kid you can help in anyway please help them. I buried one of my best students yesterday all because he was left unguided for too long and it caught up with him and left him in the road with a bullet to the head, in broad daylight with 6 to 8 others present during a fight. They then took pictures of his body and the wound to spread all over social media, and even stole his shoes. He was one of the guys that simply made each day he was there better. We would joke and cut up but if i said get to work or come do this or that it was always "yes sir" , Ive been with him every day for 3hrs , and you can't help but develop a bond with most of the guys. They ask me all the questions they are to afraid to ask anyone else, I'm just one of them in their mind, and while that's not technically the most approved of relationship to most people in the education field it is where I and they feel most comfortable, that I know. I spoke with him on several occasions in an effort to educate him on what his current decisions would inevitably lead too.,, and I wish I had done more. To make the matter even worse the one that is charged with his murder was also a classmate and my student. I knew he enjoyed coming to the Vocational School for Auto Collision, but I never knew how much it REALLY meant to him till I walked by his casket and seen that they buried him in his School Auto Collision t shirt. It really hit me then that even tho they may act like they aren't listening or care,..they do and care more than you know. So don't give up keep trying to reach them.
That had to be tough to share but it's good to get it off your chest. One person can only do so much and you obviously reached this young man in the short time you had with him. Our communities need more people like you. What a shame he couldn't pull himself away from bad influences sooner.
Damn Ethan, that's heartbreaking. So sorry to hear a young man lost his life. I tip my cap to you for being a positive example in these young people's lives when they may not otherwise have one.
Holy **** Eathan. sorry for your loss. you were a positive influence on the kid's life. you can hang your hat on that.
It's been hard, real hard, and seeing my other guys come down the hall in tears sucked I don't wanna sound cliche but they are like my own , we get the guys that struggle with school and discipline, especially the auto collision guys. 15,16and17 yrolds shouldn't be attending funerals for their classmates shot in a shootout, that's adult stuff. I lost a 14yrold to expulsion just the other week due to drug possession with intent to distribute, I'm talking scales,bags,couple ozs of pot ,ecstasy pills,bottle of vodka and a few blunts,...a 14yrold!!. I was a handful in school and I mean a real project, but never once did I mess with drugs or guns,..never even thought about it. Times have changed so much in the past 15yrs. I just hope I never have to attend another student's funeral again but I know that's only an empty dream as Im sure I will
Find comfort in knowing you reached out to a troubled young man instead of turning your back on him. God Bless
Sounds like you were more family to him than his real family. A sad ending for someone that had some potential. I have a hard time understanding how these kids get this way. You see all kinds of stories about doing nasty things and then putting it on social media. It's like society is regressing back to the stone age. Where are the parents that should be setting good examples and teaching their kids right from wrong.
So sorry for your loss Ethan, positive roll models are few and far anymore and its amazing what you do. I still remember my auto vocational teachers, hang in there bud..
Eathan, please don't be disheartened by this recent tragedy. You sir are a role model and a positive influence on your young students, helping to mold them into productive young men.
Almost everyone wants to make some kind of mark on the world. Many of us do it by earning trophies, building cars we're proud of, building wealth, raising families, doing something positive. Some are stuck and the only marks they can or will make are ugly ones-injuries, grafitti, news stories, and infamy. It's a damn shame the bad ones got him. You tried, and that's more than a lot of people did. I wish you and his family peace. Patrick
Thanks guys ,. The thing that really made this sting so much is , when I would talk real with him, you could see his innocence that was under the "hard" image he felt he had to uphold to everyone else but I knew who he really was and wanted to be. To know he lost his life due to a desire to play into a false image makes it even more senseless.
Ethan, I'm very sorry to hear of such a tragedy. As a father of 2 High School boys, I take comfort in knowing that there are people like you that take the time to reach out to these young men. With such a senseless hard loss, I sincerely hope that you find peace. Larry
Wow Ethan! Very tough to hear!! It has to be a very tough situation. A friend of mine's 18 year old son died a few years ago from a bee sting, and that has been real tough............I can't imagine a young mans life being taken away under those conditions! Hang in there and keep trying! Making a difference in just one kids life is worth it!
Amen. Maybe this will be a wakeup call for some of that young mans peers and make a positive difference in thier lives.
I spent 23 years as an auto tech instructor in a Vocational high school. The first couple of years are hell. I spent practically every waking moment developing curriculum, writing lesson plans, finding resources, and just generally getting things in some semblance of order. Like you, I have had kids who broke my heart, and a few who made it all worthwhile.
That's where I am now John just trying to build a game plan , simply wasn't time this year, just went day to day and that is tough, I have 25 in first block 23 in second and 33 in my afternoon class. With 38 scheduled for next year in the double block afternoon class. Keeping that many bodies busy that aren't being paid has proven to be a monumental task. I've learned alot about how kids are now and will make adjustments as needed this summer, but the day absolutely flies by. We completed 31 projects this year exponentially more than the predecessors. That I'm proud of, I run it as much as a real shop as possible , next year I will slow down and limit the outside work tho, as its just too much to handle when you are spending most your time keeping them focused
That's a tough thing to hear about. I can't imagine going through it. Make sure that you are there to listen, if one of your students needs to talk about it. I'm sure that your school has counselors that are there too. Remind them that there is no shame if they need to talk to someone. That goes for you too. If you ever need someone to talk to, you can call me any time.
We were the first ASE certified shop in Massachusetts. All three of us (the instructors) were ASE Master Techs, two of us were Advanced Engine Performance (L-1) certified. all three of us had bachelor's degrees. One year, our superintendent came to us in a panic - he said that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had adopted a rule that all auto tech shops had to be ASE certified, and that he was sorry to have to dump that workload on us. We said "relax Jack, we're already certified." The look on his face was amazing.
Very sorry for yours and his family's loss Eathan. It's tough to get hit with the "We can't save them all" truth/bluntness. Really sucks to lose a young person whose life you were doing your best to have a positive influence on. We can tell, by reading your post, that you are doing your best to help the kids have a good, successful future. You only have several hours per day to teach positive influence, while having zero control over what the students are exposed to the rest of the time. Just keep on doing what you are, Eathan. You may not always know it, but I'm betting that besides teaching the students a skill that will give them a future, you have saved more lives than you know. You're a good man, my friend.
You reached that young man and made a difference. I am sure that he is not the only one that you have had a positive influence on either. It can not be easy to overcome the obstacles of a society that does not provide an economic engine to support a decent life style. The lure of fast, easy money and the glamour that goes with it over shadows an honest job with mediocre income. I have seen these kids try to better themselves but their environment is like a toxic lead weight around their necks. They adapt as best as they can....
