Eddie was recently honored as a Certified World Class Auto Technician by General Motors and is a full-time auto technician. Only 4.5% of GM's technicians, across the country, achieve this distinction and he is believed to be the youngest to ever achieve this. Eddie is quick to credit his instructor at Parkside HS for much of his success and for his ability to complete the hundreds of hours of testing to earn this title
Why did you choose this CTE Program of Study?
I always knew I wanted to work on cars, since the age of 14. The CTE program at Parkside High School gave me all the basic knowledge and tools required to work at the dealership I'm at now. I started working at the dealership in my junior year, so I really give credit to my automotive instructors for teaching me what I needed to know and the work ethic required to succeed in this field.
How does your CTE Program prepare you for college and careers?
The automotive CTE courses at my high school gave me basic mechanical knowledge of how to work on cars. These basics were necessary for me to get my current job.
What academic subjects are important to your success in your CTE Program?
Math helped me a lot, I gained applied mathematics credits through the auto technology program, which is important because you absolutely need math to be able to complete measurements when working with cars.
What is the most exciting thing you have learned or have done in your CTE program?
The most exciting experience in my CTE course was when a friend and I got to put our first engine in! It was the first, but definitely not last engine job. We worked on a 1997 Oldsmobile cutlass supreme. In general, my CTE classes were the classes I was most excited to go to. I was not just sitting in a classroom learning by listening to a teacher, I was getting a hands-on experience and getting my hands dirty.
Explain how it is possible to fit both your required high school courses and CTE courses into your schedule?
It is very doable to accomplish both at the same time. Obviously, academic courses take priority, but by my junior year I had enough credits to practically graduate so I was able to work more and wrap up my high school classes.
What would you tell an incoming freshman about CTE?
If you can see yourself working in a field that the high school offers courses in, you might as well test it out, get some hands-on experience, and take the opportunity to start your career.