Submitted By: Tri-County ROP
“My name is Derek and I graduated from Marysville High School in 1997. In my senior year I decided to take an ROP Automotive class to fulfill a requirement needed for graduation. This class was taught by Bill Ray. I thought it would be easy, but Bill Ray made us work hard for our grade. I learned a lot and found that I had an interest in mechanics.
“When I graduated, I decided to go to UTI in Phoenix, AZ. I graduated 18 months later with a certificate in diesel mechanics and was able to get a job at a bus company. For various reasons, I later quit that job. In order to make ends meet and support my family, I took a job at Sears selling lawnmowers, etc. Before long, they realized I had some knowledge of mechanics and offered me a job working for Sears Appliance Repair, with quite a bit more pay.”
~Derek D., ROP Student