From his dad, Michael Shepherd gained hands-on experience working on trucks. And from his grandma, he was encouraged to apply for the Diesel & Heavy Truck Mechanics instructor position at Pickaway-Ross.
Michael, who graduated from Westfall High School, grew up “tinkering around with Dad in the garage” in their Orient home.
His first job after graduating high school in 2008 was to work for a wholesale dealer, where he bought non-running trucks and got them to run again.
Michael worked in the diesel truck industry until 2015 when he joined the Licking Heights Local School District as a bus mechanic.
While some of the work was similar to his previous jobs – repairing and replacing defective parts and completing routine maintenance, for example – Michael said he missed troubleshooting and diagnosing problems.
After seeing the posting for the teaching position, Michael mentioned it to his grandmother, a retired teacher.
“She said I should apply and I said, ‘You really think I’m teacher material?’”
“She said, ‘You know how to do all this stuff and you have your certifications.’”
Shortly after joining Pickaway-Ross in fall of 2016, said he knew his grandmother was right.
“I like seeing the kids have that ‘Oh, I got it’ moment when they understand something,” he said.
And with Michael’s background in the industry, he said he’s focusing on teaching them “the stuff they’re going to use every day.”
“It’s important to know how to diagnose the problem and fix what’s wrong, instead of throwing different parts at it and hoping that fixes it.”