Auto teacher Kyle Chapman grew up as a student at Huron, participating in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs like Home Building and Auto Engineering. Now, Chapman is working side-by-side with Vincent Snyder in teaching the auto class here at Huron, helping students feel more comfortable and confident in their knowledge and understanding of the auto industry, technology and tools to take on jobs.

“I pretty much just went right into the industry,” Chapman said. “[I] went from dealerships to a body shop, and then I realized I can make more on fleet repair and doing more of that [managing] aspect.”

Right after high school, Chapman decided to put his auto certification to use and work for multiple dealerships. With his record of work, he was able to land a better job with repairing fleets of vehicles. With time and experience in his back pocket, Chapman decided it would be serviceable to teach the next generation of automotive engineers.

“Coming through this program myself, having it three out of the four years of high school, [I could] go full circle,” Chapman said. “After I had a bunch of years in the industry, it was easier to actually escalate back into the teaching aspect.”

Chapman started and continues to share his knowledge during shop time while working alongside students to help them feel more comfortable in their abilities. No matter if the students are beginners or returning from previous years, Chapman makes sure that safety and learning are prioritized while kids are learning the craft. 

“It’s super rewarding [to see] the sparkles in the students’ eyes, to see them escalating their own personal abilities,” Chapman said. “From being able to do an oil change or a spare tire repair to all these heavier hitting jobs.”