“This is what it’s all about”
Students acquire more than just automotive training at the Excel Institute. At this school, students learn both vocational and life skills that encourage them to succeed in their lives.
The mission of Excel is simple, said co-founder George Starke. “Anybody, regardless of age, literacy or his or her money situation, can get into the door at Excel,” he said. “Once you get admitted, you spend two years learning. Assuming that you put effort into the program, you will walk out of the door with skills.”
This year’s valedictorian, Donald Yates, knew Excel was the right place for him to be when he read their mission statement. “I said, ‘That’s what’s up. That sounds like me.'”
John W. Lyon and George Starke founded Excel in 1998. The post-secondary vocational institution seeks to address the employment needs of unemployed individuals, people in at-risk situations and employers in the automotive industry who need skilled employees. The Automotive Workforce Development Training Program specializes in providing vocational training in the field of automotive technology. The program includes basic literacy education, life skills development, career counseling and job placement services to their students. The services offered Excel are free to those who get accepted.
On Friday, June 18, the Excel Institute graduated 39 students.
“I like Excel because I can watch people flourish and grow,” said Maria, who entered Excel in October 2008. She is one of the few women to graduate from the institution. “At first it is just school, and then it becomes so much more. All these people here are now my friends.”
The faculty at Excel greatly contributed to Maria’s positive learning experience. “The people who work here really care about the students,” she said. “It is like they are sacrificing their careers to be with us. The teachers are also really dedicated to helping us learn. They ask you questions and questions all the time. You ask them one question, and they will ask you five more.”
Maria plans on using the skills she gained at Excel to be a service advisor. “I will be the person that you see when you enter a mechanics shop that will get to you a technician and help you move on,” she said.
One of the highlights of doing this type of work is its sense of empowerment. “The process belongs to you,” she said. “You begin the job, and you feel energized when you know that you are the one who is going to complete it.”
Yates also learned numerous life and vocational lessons from his time at Excel. He grew up in southeast D.C. and entered Excel following a recommendation from his probation officer.
“I was 13 when I fell in love with cars,” Yates said. “I came from a family where money is tight and everybody does everything that they can to save money.”
When Yates’ 1987 Dodge car overheated, he became interested in automotive technology. “I went to Track Auto and bought myself a book on my car,” he said. “It told me to check the radiator, which was bone dry, so I poured coolant on it. It was something so small that fixed the problem. I knew then that I could make a career doing this.”
Excel has partnered with the Community College of D.C. to expand their literacy programs and encourages students to continue their post-secondary education, said Dr. Jonathon Gueverra, chief executive officer of CCDC.
“It was a long journey and now we are at the end,” Yates said. “I plan to receive my associate degree in automotive technology from CCDC. Some of the classes that I took at Excel count toward the degree. I also have some credits from another college, so I am already halfway toward receiving my degree.”
Excel strives to keep their graduates in contact with their institution so students have the opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship with successful graduates.
“Hopefully, when you leave and become successful, you will remember it’s important to not leave the school,” Starke said. “You are never gone from here. We need to stick together to make the school a success, because we need to help those who are on their journey to being successful.”
Michael Fru, a 2009 graduate of Excel, spoke at the celebration and provided a graduate’s perspective on life after the institute. He works at Goodyear and does general service, inspections and alignments. He also actively promotes Excel to everyone he meets.
“I didn’t believe that I would know how to change oil, but now I do, and I also know how to do many other things,” Fru said. The knowledge he gained at Excel adequately prepared him for his career.
Fru offered some words of advice during his time with the graduates. “Once you are in the field, you should respect the customers, their time and their cars,” Fru said. “If there is anything that you don’t understand, find someone who can explain it to you. Also, be nice to the managers, because they receive feedback from the customers and can help advance your career.”
Fru hopes to volunteer his time at Excel as a teacher in order to give back to an institution that provided him with so many opportunities.
Excel hopes to alleviate the disparities that exist in the D.C. community by providing free automotive technology schooling to students who are willing and able to commit to learning about this field. “In the nation’s capital, with all the resources we have, there are still many individuals with very profound needs,” Gueverra said. Therefore, Gueverra is proud that Excel strives to address these needs and empower our community’s residents.
For more information about Excel, call 202-387-1550 or visit http://www.theexcelinstitute.org/.
