Karl Gardner’s first college experience was not what he expected.
Enrolled in a private state school to study music education, Karl didn’t feel a connection with his professors, making it difficult to learn how to be an instructor himself.
“They seemed more involved with their own studies than mine,” Karl, 21, said.
A 2021 graduate of Central Community High School in Elkader, Iowa, Karl planned to pursue one of three career paths upon graduation: music education, automotive technology, or information technology. When his first option didn’t work out, he considered following his two older brothers in information technology, but ultimately decided to lean into his automotive experience.
Karl enrolled in Kirkwood Community College’s Automotive Technology program in the fall of 2022. Within weeks of beginning classes, Karl had the connection he wanted at his previous institution.
“Every instructor in the program – Todd Hesseltine, Scott Johnson, and Jonathan Pope – knows what they’re talking about,” Karl said. “Their knowledge goes beyond classroom instruction; they have industry experience. They have trade experience and share that knowledge with us.”
And if something wasn’t clicking, each one would take the time to go over the lesson one-on-one.
“There’s nothing about the program I didn’t enjoy,” Karl said. “Kirkwood has been best two years that I’ve possibly experienced.”
Karl’s first semester focused primarily on his automotive technology studies, but music was never far from his mind. A musician since elementary school, Karl started playing the clarinet in fourth grade and later added the saxophone to his repertoire. He set both aside after his negative collegiate experience.
Then he learned he had room in his schedule to join Kirkwood’s jazz ensemble.
“I knew I had skills to play at the collegiate level, but I didn’t know if I’d have the time,” Karl said. “When my advisor told me it was possible, I was ready. I was able to rediscover joy for playing.”
That wasn’t the only surprise Kirkwood had in store for Karl. It was in his second year of classes that he learned Automotive Technology students had a study abroad opportunity in Australia. Karl had rarely traveled outside of Iowa; this seemed like too good of an opportunity to ignore.
A recipient of the Last-Dollar Scholarship, Karl had his tuition and fees covered, but not international trips. He worked with the Financial Aid office to secure a Global Advantage Scholarship to cover part of the cost; his parents helped with the rest.
“Everyone at Kirkwood is so helpful, from the assistance I received from the Financial Aid officer to reaching out to instructors when I was going through a rough time; some even noticed before I said anything,” Karl said.
Kirkwood’s Automotive Technology program provides the opportunity to take eight Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification tests. Graduation from this program requires Automotive Arc Flash certification and 300 hours of faculty-approved industry work, all of which Karl said gave him a head start in finding full-time work after graduation. He now lives in Ames and works as an automotive service technician at George White Chevrolet.
“It was a great two years,” he said. “Everything that Kirkwood prepared me to do has been fruitful and set me on the path to my future. I’m thankful to everyone who helped me get started on my next stage of life.”