Joy Walczak speaks with George French, KCTC Alum, 1976 Auto Mechanics program, Adam Milkovich, 7th grade, Grand Rapids City Middle High, and Krista Harmon, Workforce Development Consultant, Kent ISD
Joy Walczak (JW) Welcome to the Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast where we celebrate student success one dream at a time. I'm Joy Walczak and today I'm talking with George French, a mechanic with racing experience, and Adam Milkovich, a seventh grade student who would like to do some racing of his own someday. Kent ISD Workforce Development Consultant Krista Harmon is joining us to share some career pathway advice and a connection to Kent Career Tech Center's Alumni Network. Thanks to all of you for joining us today.
Krista Harmon (KH) Thanks for having us.
(JW) Mr. French, at one time you were Adam’s age, in seventh grade, and soon after that you made a decision to attend KCTC yourself. Can you tell us about the program you were in and what you learned that helped you with what happened next?
George French (GF) Yeah, I was interested in cars before I ever came to this learning institution. I found the program was a valuable component in my evolution, along with some other machine shop experiences, welding and learning how to work a lathe and a mill. They all culminated in my hard skills used for my life's employment.
(JW) And what program was it that you took here at KCTC, and what year was that?
(GF) Well, I took the auto mechanics course and It was ‘75 and ’76.
(JW) Fantastic. Our building was just open a few years at that point, but you are in the lab today where you took courses when you were that age, correct?
(GF)Oh, yes
(JW)Tell us what you learned in that program hands-on
(GF) Duringthat course we had studies in brakes, in front end alignment, in drivetrain, and various other areas of automotive repair.
(JW) And I know your career really took off from there, and we'll get back to that in just a minute, but I'd love to have Adam join us. Adam, in full disclosure is also my grandson, and a seventh grade student at City Middle High in Grand Rapids. Adam, I know that you have a lot of questions about the racing industry.What would you like to ask George, because he actually became an auto race car driver as well as a mechanic.
Adam Milkovich (AM) One question is, uh, what should I like prioritize in order to get into racing?
(GF)Obviously, some auto mechanic study will be prerequisite to that, but I would suggest a good academic program which would include algebra and geometry, chemistry and some physics, the ability to learn from history, because you'll learn to have a service log on a piece of equipment. You'll learn to use that history as a tool.
(JW) In addition to mechanics, you also started a racing career and actually had a lot of success, George. Can you share with Adam some of the things you did in the racing world?
(GF) I applied myskills and abilities in building the car, welding the roll cage, building an engine and suspension, shaping and forming the body, painting it. Those are all the skills I used to actually build the car.And then you have the management part where you have to go get sponsors. You need some soft skills for that endeavor. And then there's the driving part. Well, it's also a discipline and a skill set that it's acquired over time.You're not born with it, really.There's a lot of learning to do.Some people do have a more natural talent or ability.
(JW) Well, I know Adam has more questions. I would love to also include Krista. Would you share some additional options that are available to students today who are exploring careers, even as early as grade school and middle school?
(KH) Absolutely.I really recommend summer camps and volunteer opportunities at organizations that are areas of interest. That's a great way to start experiencing what it's like in that industry.We also at the Kent ISD offer a variety of career exploration events. We just had a skilled trades evening and a health expo last week. So, watch your newsletters for those kinds of events here at the Kent ISD.But I also highly recommend a website called mynextmove.org or even YouTube or TikTok, the day-in-the-life-of videos, just so can see what it's all about. So exploring is what you should be doing at this age.
(JW) That is great advice. And another connection that Adam has to the racing world is video gaming.And, Adam, can you share what some of the games are that you do that include racing and maybe how that might've inspired your interest in this area?
(AM) All right, so like I play games that are like a Forza (horizon 3), NASCAR heat five.
(JW)I know you were somebody who collected about a bazillion matchbox cars when you were very young and still engage with building autos through Legos and other kits and things like that. What do you think you've learned about the auto world from some of those hands-on experiences and what additional questions might you have for George?
(AM) I'm, like, through like the Hot Wheels and like the Matchboxes and stuff, I've learned like the car names, the models, like when they were made, like all that stuff.
(JW) What kinds of things do you think Mr. French can tell you about autos that maybe you don't know yet or want to know about how to get from seventh grade to a mechanical career or a racing career?
(AM) I mean, like, probably like next steps and like how to get sponsors and stuff. I think that'd be valuable.
(JW) George, what would you like to share about that, about next steps even right out of high school, if Adam were to pursue a program here at the Tech Center or other ways to continue his interests? What are some things that you took away from your high school experience that helped you right away in your career?
(GF) Well, the aforementioned academic studies surely played a big role in my evolution. Along with that, there was a public speaking class, which you learned how to write and deliver speeches, which evolved into sales and promotional skills, because you to have to do some shameless self-promotions at times. Flat out, you do, whether it's in the HR department or getting sponsors or just in maybe an outside organization one's involved with.
(JW) Even in landing an interview at that first work-based learning experience you might have
(GF) Yes.
(JW)And Krista, those are some of the skills that we help students build here at the Tech Center with our Going Pro behaviors, but also in more of your workforce development efforts. Tell us more about that.
(KH) We just had a fantastic Super Smash Brothers esports tournament last Saturday and we actually worked on handshakes and eye contact and encouraging kids to learn about networking.It's all about who you know and interacting with them which can lead to more information to help you clarify what you want in your career. And it's been just a lot of fun connecting kids to employers to practice those skills.
(JW) And it's also part of our outreach with the Kent Career Tech Center Alumni Network which has just recently been launched. Tell us how people can get involved in that and why they should, and what you're learning about empowerment through the building of the network.
(KH) It's been so fun connecting with alumni like George.We have over 50 years of alumni andthey are very proud of what they learned here at the Tech Center and it's been really fun engaging them for job shadows and mock interviews and even some of our alumni have hosted students at their places of work. So they help young people understand the journey of what they've taken to get to where they are. And it's very easy to connect with us. You just go to the techcenter.org website, the techcenter.org/alumni. And we have a survey there that our alumni can kind of decide what they want to do to engage with young people today. And we'll connect with them. It's just been a lot of fun.
(JW) It is really a building, great group.A lot of people are already involved and we know there are thousands more out there that are alumni of the Tech Center. George, you have many in your own family. Tell us about your additional connections.
(GF) Sure. My wife is also an alumni, as are my two daughters.KCTC placement program got me a position as a diesel mechanic right after class, right after graduation. And that was a great experience. I got to learn a whole lot more new things, a bigger scale. Well, okay. And then I found myself taking a job in a factory to get by for a while until I could get a job in a garage, or so I thought.Turns out, they neededtheir Hi-Lo fixed for something or other. And so, okay, here you go. I helped them out with that. And then they found out I could weld two pieces of metal together. And then they asked me to start doing some repair work around the shop. Andso this led to that, and this led to that. And after a while, they needed to expand. And they came to me and said, well, you know how to work on all these machines. We want you to lead our second shift. Okay, we'll do that.So after eight years of that, they continued to expand and they had four buildings and now they needed a plant supervisor.Okay,so I did that for ten years. From there I had another job as a QA manager because I knew manufacturing, and I've had a couple jobs as an equipment repair mechanic and millwright.
(JW) And how did you blend in racing?Because it sounds like you were already busy with a lot of career work, too.
(GF) Well, a friend of mine that I was working with at the time, he was doing stock car racing, dirt tracks. And we got to talking, I sold him a car one time and he gutted it out, put a cage in it. He says, come out to the track and see your car go around the track. I said, really?So I went out and watched him and hey, this is cool. And he come up to me at the end of the night, he said four words to me: You could do this. And it was on. That's how that happened.
(JW) Picked up that challenge right away and you built your own car?
(GF) Yes! You start with parts and you weld a cage in and build the engine and make the suspension what you need it and want it.
(JW) So, were you successful with that car you built?
(GF) I was in the top 10 every year but one. Got to have a bad year somewhere, I guess. But I was in the top five twice, so that was pretty good. I have several trophies at home, of course that goes with that.
(AM) So did you have team members and stuff?
(GF) Oh yes. As a matter of fact, that is a lot easier than doing all the work yourself. I had a fellow come up to me and said he wanted me to build him a car. Wait a minute, I'm kind of busy here. But I'll tell you what, if you help me for the rest of the season and you get to see what it's like, and at the end of the season, you make up your mind and not make a decision based on emotions, you make up your mind and we'll build you a car. We did just that. We built him a carand we ran a two-car team for the next three years. I was running late models and he was running street stocks. So we did not compete against each other.However, we could offer the sponsor double the exposure. So that worked out well.
(JW) You also took your skills at the race track in additional directions. You did some flagging work and other things?
(GF)I hooked up with the Sports Car Club of America and I got trained and qualified in flagging communications and I worked local tracks, Gingerman Raceway and Grattan Raceway, until I gotmy certification working on the safety crew. A whole different view of racing.
(JW) The safety is a very important aspect. I'm glad that you are able to take all of the experiences that you learned at an early age and wrap them around into a career with fantastic impact. Adam, why don't you share with us what your dream is?
(AM) My dream is to get to the NASCAR Cup Series.
(JW)That's very impressive. I hope you have an opportunity to make that dream come true. Building the skills that can take you in many different directions is a good place to start when you're trying to launch your dreams. Krista, why do you think it's important for us to ask students what their dreams are?
(KH) Because it's what's going to lead to action stops. If they can identify what makes them tick and what would give them joy in the future, we can start to help them develop a plan to get there. And life's a journey, and there should be something we're all looking forward to. So taking the time to dream is an important part of being a human.
(JW) Absolutely. Adam, I'd like to give you the last word here. Will you share with us some thoughts from what you've learned today or even in your experience as a seventh grader?What are your next steps? What do you want to do next?
(AM) Well, my next steps are probably, I mean, like...as soon as I can, like probably a summer camp or like going here. Yeah, like, I would like to go here.
(JW) We really appreciate having all of you join us today.It's wonderful to explore dreams and how education can help make those dreams come true.
(All) Thank you for having us. Thank you.
(JW) And thanks to everyone who's listening today, also.If you know a student who dreams big, we would love to share their story.You can submit your ideas and hear more episodes at KentISD.org/YourDream. I'm Joy Walczak. The Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast is presented by Kent ISDin partnership with WGVU.
