In a world where teenagers fill their spare time with social media and video games, happiness can still be found under the hood of a car. Four boys have found a way to make connections with family and friends through rebuilding and repairing cars.

 Senior Garrett Avery began working on cars about a year and a half ago with some of his family members. He feels that he has benefited from the process and become a more critical thinker through working on cars. 

  “Building cars is difficult because you’re always dealing with researching information and it’s never the same thing twice,” Garrett said. “Each step of the process has a new problem to solve.” 

Garrett has enjoyed his time working on engines and views the activity as part of a bigger picture that involves him gaining skills and know-how for the future.

“I like to build cars because it’s fun and it takes mechanical skills, knowledge, and it’s a good way to learn the inner-workings of a car,” Garrett said. “I started out working with my grandpa after we bought a truck together. Working on cars is a great bonding experience.”

Garrett plans to major in mechanical engineering next year when he starts college so he feels like the experience he has gained through building engines will help him in the future. Senior Arturo Villanueva also plans to major in mechanical engineering and began working on cars last year.

  “I want to get a degree in mechanical engineering, so working with car engines helps put me in that mindset,” Arturo said. “It’s important to make sure you’re doing everything right when you are working on a car or you’ll have to do it again. It also gives me a way to gain knowledge and have a good time.”

Senior Stratton Coborn has been around cars since he was young and works with his family to rebuild engines. He does not plan on going into a mechanical field, but believes the skills he has acquired will still assist him in becoming an architect. 

“I’ve never really been into car building,” Stratton said, “but I have a Jeep and my dad and I have been putting it together. I don’t really see myself working on cars in the future, but it is something fun to do with my family.” 

Another example of someone having a good start-off is junior Braden Bomnskie. Though, like Corborn, he doesn’t find it as something he’ll want to continue as a career.

“My dad bought my truck five years ago in a junkyard, and I just started on it,” Braden said. “Although it’s a good experience to know how to do mechanical things to make money, it’s just a hobby I enjoy right now.”