Superior Water Light and Power donated a 2013 Ford Transit Connect with 82,156 miles on it to the industrial tech classes Thursday, March 5. Students will use the van to practice general maintenance, like brake jobs, tire rotations and oil changes. 

“Now kids have modern vehicles to look at and learn from,” said auto shop and metals instructor James BianchiBianchi.

He added that having this new car gives the students a chance to work with auto computer programs.

Since students have a chance to work with newer cars they can get experience on cars that they would be working on for their future jobs. By showing students that the car was donated by SWLP it shows students that they can be a mechanic for specialized businesses. 

The shop class used to have a 1990 Pontiac Grand Am to practice on. Since new cars are more modernized and have more computerized parts. Students are given a chance to scan newer cars to identify problems that are wrong with them. 

According to Principal Rick Flaherty, Superior Water Light and Power donated the van because they run their vehicles until they reach a certain point and then get rid of them. The manager of customer experiences Harper brickson contacted Flaherty to see if the school would like to have the car.

According to Flaherty this is the largest physical donated item the school  has received this year.

Junior Gavin Sullivan is enrolled in consumer auto mechanics to learn more about how to do general maintenance on cars and trucks. He has previously brought in older cars and even some atv’s to find parts for. Since the newly donated car has newer parts, he can take it apart and put it back together without having to work on his new truck.

“This new car gives me a chance to work on a newer car that has computer systems in it, so I can learn how to fix the computers and replace those kinds of parts,” Sullivan said. 

Eric Paternoster, the fleet maintenance technician for SWLP, delivered the car. President Rob Sandstrom and Jon Allen, supervisor for line crew, also assisted in delivering the car. 

Flaherty said he was grateful to Superior Water Power & Light for the donation.