Saul Martinez, 20, a 2020 Richmond Senior High School graduate, talks with students in the Automotive Technology class about his experiences and job on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Mark Bell | For the Daily Journal
HAMLET — A 2020 Richmond Senior High School graduate returned to the classroom on Thursday hoping to give students in the Automotive Technology class a glimpse of optimism after high school that being a mechanic is a good trade that can provide good income to support a family.
Saul Martinez, 20, spent part of the day in Jeff James’ classroom talking with the students about his life path after high school and how the Richmond County School’s Career and Technical Education classes changed his life.
“I wanted to come back and return the favor the high school gave me,” he said. “They gave me an opportunity to believe in myself and follow my dream. If it wasn’t for this class, who knows what I would be doing in my life.”
Martinez now works as a mechanic at Pinehurst Nissan in Pinehurst. He said he owes it all to his former Richmond Senior automotive technology teacher, Tony Clewis, and Jason Perakis, the Richmond Senior Career Development Coordinator.
“It really started with one movie that got me hooked,” he said.
While many would guess the Fast and Furious franchise or perhaps even the old-school 1968 movie Bullitt starring Steve McQueen as Lt. Frank Bullitt driving around in his 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback, they would be wrong.
“It really was the Disney movie, Cars, that got me interested in cars and how they work,” he said. “After that, it was the Fast and Furious movies, but by the age of six years old, I knew I wanted to be working on cars for a living.”
Growing up, he spent his days playing card games, watching movies, and, most importantly for him, going to car shows. It was that interest in “cool” cars at those shows that he didn’t understand how to leverage into a career until the first day in the introduction to automotive class at Richmond Senior.
“I learned so much each year I took a different class,” he said. “Mr. Clewis was the best. He encouraged me at every corner and gave me the passion I still have today.”
Nearing his high school graduation, he would spend his days kicking around the soccer ball with his friends. He had a decision to make for the next chapter of his life. He could have gone to Richmond Community College for free, but unfortunately, the college didn’t offer a degree plan that involved anything to do with auto mechanics.
That passion ignited inside him the first time he watched “Cars” had Martinez look outside of Richmond County, and he zeroed in on Sandhills Community College, located in Pinehurst.
Although he would have to pay for college out of his own pocket, he said it was the best decision he made. Martinez started classes in August 2020.
When asked about a four-year college degree, he said it’s ok for people not to earn a bachelor’s degree and said many people earn a lot of money without a bachelor’s degree. It wasn’t an option for him.
“They can be very expensive, and I didn’t want to put my dad in that position of paying that amount of money for me,” he said. “I couldn’t justify it, and I’m ok with that. I’ve done a lot in three years since graduating high school, and I turned out ok.”
Between attending Sandhills and the various technical training from work, Martinez has been thrilled with his choices.
“I am now able to provide for myself and have a good life,” he said. “I have a car, a stable job, and a good income. I am living the dream.”
Martinez said being in the automotive business is something to be proud of and relayed that message to the students in the classroom.
“It’s a good industry,” he said. “There is a lot of potential to go up and earn more money. Of course, you have to like getting your hands dirty. It’s not for the people who keep their fingernails clean. It just doesn’t work in this profession.”
After his presentation, Martinez answered dozens of student questions, from his favorite car to getting paid. James noticed his passion and excitement for the automotive career field as he sat in the back, watching his students get excited by the conversations.
James said it was important for his students to learn about the opportunities after high school and how automotive and other CTE classes can give a glimpse into the trade fields that can support a comfortable lifestyle.
He said Martinez is a recent graduate and close in age to the students and hopefully, that closeness in age helped his students engage with Martinez’s story in a more impactful way.
“I want them to understand there are other paths besides going to college,” he said. “We have some great students who can have a trade and make an impact in our community. The automotive industry is one of those skilled trades that can support a family, and that can start right here in the classroom at the high school.”
Perakis said stories like Martinez’s are special but common at Richmond Senior. He said CTE students have opportunities to complete work-based learning like internships and apprenticeships.
Perakis spends his week talking with area businesses, like local dealerships, to provide Richmond Senior CTE students with on-the-job learning environments. That all starts with the high school teachers being involved in their areas of expertise and students’ lives.
“We have teachers like Jeff and Tony who are trusted community members,” he said. “If it weren’t for them and our other CTE teachers, we wouldn’t be successful at placing our students in those internships and apprenticeships.”
Perakis said the community has supported the CTE program since day one and has grown as more business leaders learn about what Richmond Senior is doing at the high school level. He said the CTE program and community have the same goal.
“We all want to support our students and give them the best opportunities after graduation to be successful,” he said.