Jose Fausto Hernandez’s passion for auto mechanics started in a practical way that develops when owning a first car.

For Fausto Hernandez, it was when the window regulator stopped working on his Chevrolet Impala. A local repair shop estimated that it would cost $300 to replace, and Fausto Hernandez thought he could fix it for a lot less. As it turned out, Fausto Hernandez saved more than 33 percent on the repair work by doing it himself. Ever since then, he’s been interested in auto mechanics.

That interest inspired him to enroll in the Automotive Mechanics Technology program at Western Nevada College last year. More recently, that passion for car repair has led to a job with Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City.

“I started about (a month) ago as a lube technician. I still have a lot to learn about car repairs, but after I learn more, I’ll have the chance to move to the main shop,” Fausto Hernandez said.

That will require more training for him through a certification program arranged by his employer.

“I’ll continue studying so I’m not lost in continuing this career path,” he said. “My ultimate goal is that I wish to become ASE certified and I hope to become a master technician at some point. I know I need to have patience; I have to tough it out and use the knowledge I’m gaining to the best of my abilities.”

His inquisitiveness and desire to learn more about the trade proliferates during idle time. When work slows at Michael Hohl Honda, Fausto Hernandez talks with technicians about different repair projects and how to run tests to locate a problem.

“Although I’ve gotten my hands dirty as a lube tech, I’m fully excited to go into the main shop and work on electrical components, struts, engines and more ... just excited to get my hands even dirtier,” he said. “Everything I’ve learned from WNC and Michael Hohl Honda can be used for a lot of good things.”

He’ll also have the opportunity to learn how to perform smog certifications.

“It adds more to resumé; we get a lot of cars for smog checks from the DMV,” he said.

For now, Fausto Hernandez is preparing for his ASE certifications through WNC and graduating in the spring. He started in Fall 2021 in WNC’s Construction Management program, but discovered something he enjoyed more: auto mechanics in Spring 2022. That sudden interest has grown into a career ambition.

To learn more about WNC’s Auto Mechanics Technology program, phone 775-445-4272 or email WNC’s Workforce Career and Technical Education division at wcte@wnc.edu. Even though fall semester has started, there are opportunities to enroll in accelerated classes that begin in October. These classes require that students have completed the AUTO 101 course.