I was born and raised in Lincoln County, Oregon, on a 100-acre ranch 28 miles east of Newport that was built by my family four generations ago. Growing up as an only child the first 9 years of my life, I got to experience the world on my own terms. Later, I learned to share the world with three half-siblings.

While growing up as a young child I always took great interest in what my father did. He was an accomplished mechanic, welder, and carpenter among other things. I got my first ATV at about age 10, a Honda 125cc 3-wheeler I believe. It was the coolest thing, being 10 and riding this gasoline powered rocket all over the place. After a few months my curiosity overcame me and I finally tore the whole thing apart, including the engine. It was never put back together, but at 10 years old I fully understood the fundamentals of the internal combustion engine.

Tearing stuff apart did not end there, but stuff didn’t start going back together until my freshman year of high school when I enrolled in an automotive class taught by Mel Peterson. Mel had taught Auto Shop for 30 years and to this day is the smartest person I’ve ever met. Over the next seven years I spent a lot of time with Mel at the Newport High School auto shop learning and applying myself. The shop was a “million dollar” shop with all kinds of tools and equipment that covered every area of automotive skills from repair to paint shop and fabrication, with plenty of space to spare.

Mel’s classes were advanced college level. Students from high schools and community colleges from around the county took these classes, and I was still in high school learning at the same level. After so many years of knowing Mel and taking his classes I began to spend whole days there, helping out and working on my own projects.

A few years later the Newport High School auto shop program was shut down due to budget cuts, and Mel Peterson retired from teaching shortly afterward. I’m really thankful for being able to experience that part of my life and for Mel’s way of teaching. He always showed us the right way of doing things, no short cuts. I think that it is very important to know the right way of doing things when learning any skill.

At that point I started to work as an automotive technician. I’m really enjoying working here at Swedish Engineering West. They are all honest people who are fair to me and their customers.

Personally, I enjoy the outdoors, camping, skiing, riding dirt bikes, music, and playing the guitar (self taught since 1990— I rock!) I bought a house in Oakridge three years ago. I have a white boxer—her name is Zipper.