Faculty and student collaboration fulfilled a long-time wish of Juan Gomez, Pierce College’s custodian, as he has been working on it for more than eight years.
Industrial Technology Department’s Chair Alex Villata said Gomez’s dedication toward the community led them to help fix his car.
“He was servicing our department for many years and actually did a really good job maintaining our facility,” Villata said. “He’s a very hardworking person with an excellent work ethic. Ultimately, the faculty ended up helping him out, volunteering to put his car back together in a way.”
Gomez expressed how he felt when he got his dream car.
“I don’t have any words, but thanks because it makes my dream come true,” Gomez said.
Initially, Gomez went to fix his light, but the department ended up fixing the engine.
“Alex started helping me with the lights because that was the primary purpose,” Gomez said. However, everything started falling apart, including the brakes. They checked and suggested fixing it and said don’t worry, we want to help you.”
Villata discussed the issue with the car in more detail.
“When we started working on the vehicle project, the car did not have a running engine, and the transmission also needed to be rebuilt. These were the main issues that the school collaborated on in regards to getting his powertrain back to running condition,” Villata said.
Villata also discussed why it is essential for students to have hands-on experience with a project similar to Gomez’s case.
“When students have the opportunity to work on these projects, they must engage in those types of repairs so that they can do everything not only to gain hands-on experience but also to develop a great deal of confidence in the field and discover their potential,” Villata said.
Automotive Technician major Miguel Quintanilla spoke highly of the faculty for being accommodating when students want to work on live cars instead of lab cars.
“We always go up to the teacher and ask for approval of a small project that we want to work on,” Quintanilla said. “They always tell us, ‘Bring it in,’ and always ask us to feel free to suggest working on a live car instead of lab cars.”
Villata said it makes him happy to serve the Pierce College community.
“It’s a pleasure to serve our Pierce College employees and staff and, ultimately, help them when they need it,” Villata said. “It’s worth knowing that for big projects like this, it works well.”
Gomez added now that his car is running, he is able to bond with family over it.
“I have always dreamed of a car like that, and now that I have one, I enjoy it even more, especially since my granddaughter says, ‘She doesn’t want to get out of the car.”
