MATTHEW BEHNKE
WORKS ON A CAR
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY
MATTHEW BEHNKE
HENSLEY JEAN BAPTISTE
GRADE: Rising senior
HOMETOWN: North Haledon
STUDYING: Automotive technology, “because
I like working with my hands and it just seemed
like fun to me.” GRADE: Rising junior
HOMETOWN: Paterson
STUDYING: Engineering, “but manufacturing
would also be really good.”
What do you feel you are missing out on by
not going to the local school you would have
attended? “I definitely would’ve missed out more What made you choose a technical/
vocational school instead of going
to the school in your town? “Tech is
if I went to my local school over here. Here, you get
the shop, and everything is way more accelerated.
You never feel stuck behind in any way.”
What does a typical day look like for you?
ENGINEERING
PCTI ENGINEERING
STUDENTS AT WORK
“Normally, we have a period, or 40 minutes, of
classroom work, and then we come out to my favor-
ite place — the shop — and work on teachers’ cars
and cars that were donated to the school.”
What’s the most exciting/fun thing you’ve
done at PCTI? “It’s just great that we actually work
on real cars and not model cars or anything like
that. You definitely get lifelong experience. We get
our hands dirty.”
Any advice for parents or students on the
fence about applying to a vocational school?
“Even if you don’t choose to follow that career
path, you’ll at least gain the skill and have the
knowledge that you don’t want to pursue that
specific path.”
a really good school — so many oppor-
tunities. The [mechanical and wood] shops and other
resources are at our disposal. My local high school is kind of
dangerous and doesn’t have as many opportunities as here.”
How has your thinking regarding education and
career goals changed since you started at PCTI?
“This place is kind of hard, so it helped me become less
of a procrastinator and more committed to the things I’m
doing in life. It really helped me get my act together.”
What’s a highlight at PCTI? “Just working in the shop
is great, and I run track, too.”
Any advice for parents or students on the fence
about whether to apply to a vocational school?
“This place will provide a lot of opportunity for you. It helps
you become more culturally aware, and there are so many
resources. Your mind will definitely expand. There’s a lot
you’ll miss out on if you choose to go to other schools.”
WAYNE MAGAZINE BACK TO SCHOOL 2019
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