Announcing The 2021 Scholarship Essay Contest Winner

Announcing The 2021 Scholarship Essay Contest Winner

Where has the time gone? The past few years have been a whirlwind of changes and challenges on a global scale. No one was left unaffected by the recent global events. It's times like these that can challenge us to the point of frustration, break our spirits, and leave us all feeling utterly exhausted. It's here, in this place of frustration, where our story begins.

The frustration Joshua felt was not because of any global stressors, but more of shot that was fired from a close family member about the way he was viewing automotive repair.

Joshua was hanging out with his cousin when he was asked "Why should you wait until somethings wrong with your car to take care of it?" It was that question that challenged Joshua's way of viewing automotive maintenance. And repair.

Many of us are guilty of thinking this same way. I know when I was young and green as a car owner, I did. I had even picked up some poor habits when I started working in a mechanics shop. We'd go around saying things like, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" or other meaningless catch phrases like that...

That was the old addage I lived by for many years when I was a grease monkey. My poor cars had the road warrior wear & tear to prove it too. That's a story for another time.

I'm glad that Joshua has turned the page and now he looks at his vehicle maintenance in a whole new light. He has had a few good examples and mentors show him the way. Even a couple of his friends have some nice classic cars in mint condition.

His neighbor owns an old 1970s Mustang, This one still looks fresh from the dealer and the engine still roars loud and clear. One of his other friends has a 1990s Camaro which runs great and accelerates with great speed, just like new, but it's not because his friend or my neighbor waited for their cars to break down on them.

They were proactive and instead asked the question, "What can I do for my car to make sure it lasts as long as I want it to?".

Asking the right questions is a huge part of owning a vehicle and even though Joshua knows cars cannot last forever, he knows that with the proper maintenance and upkeep, they can last for a very long time.

Joshua is well on his way to living a life with a car that will last forever in his heart, and fill his mind with stories of maintenance & travels that illuminate his memories for years to come. Here's to making your car last forever Joshua...