Canfield High grad shifts career gears from artist to auto mechanic
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BOARDMAN - Haley Holt, a 2014 graduate of Canfield High School, set out to become an art teacher but instead has found success as an auto mechanic at a local car dealership.
Holt, 27, has been with Preston Toyota of Boardman for a year and is one of its two maintenance technicians. It's a very different career path than she envisioned, but she has embraced the field and is planning to take the next step to become a master technician.
Holt took Advanced Placement classes at Canfield and graduated magna cum laude with a 4.1 GPA. At the time of graduation, her goal was to become a microbiologist.
However, she went to Youngstown State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Fine Arts. Her interest at that time was to teach art in high school.
She interviewed and got the job as a student teacher in the art department at Boardman High School.
"I loved working with the high school students there and planned to get a job, somewhere in the Valley, as a full-time art instructor," Holt said, noting she even loved constructing daily lesson plans. "My love interest, growing up, was in art. I enjoyed working with my hands and found at an early age that creating all types of art was very rewarding. Once the art project was done, the artist could step back and admire the beauty of their work."
However, unforeseen circumstances led Holt to the the auto industry. She developed COVID-19 and with all the remote classes during the pandemic, it became very difficult to teach art online. And because her health was compromised, she thought it would be best to look for a different field where she would still be compensated for her work.
She sent out 20 resumes online. After receiving a few responses, she decided to take a job at Preston Toyota in the auto detailing department. She thought this would be a great fit since the job description was to cosmetically perfect the look of a car and optimize a vehicle's appearance.
Her mother and father, Douglas and Diane Holt, also thought this would be a good fit for her since she enjoyed watching her father working on cars and detailing them.
"My parents instilled in me a good work ethic by watching them work hard their whole life. They also were behind me and wanted me to excel in any path in life and in the business world I wished to pursue," she said.
After working in detailing for three months, Holt wanted to learn more about the auto industry and moved into a maintenance technician position.
In her new position, she has a mentor, Joseph Johnston, who has been instrumental in helping her to learn new techniques and easier, safer ways to get the job done.
"Brakes, rotors and pads are easy and so is the computer work. At times though, I have to get help with lifting those monster tires and mounting them on the vehicle when the truck is up on the rack." she said. Every employee has his or her own responsibilities.
"We come to work in the morning and we all know what needs to get done. We all have a team partner in case we need assistance with heavy lifting and such. My team partner is Zack Arthur. He is quite a team leader and makes himself available when the need arises," Holt said.
Preston service director Dave Shuntich, an Ursuline graduate, started as a mechanic and worked his way up to the top position, so he knows good potential when he sees it.
"Haley is a great employee. She is conscientious, punctual, amiable, great work ethic, and totally hands on. But, along with thousands of others across the country, I will retire soon. I am in my 45th year in the auto industry and we need great prospects willing to learn the trade and replace those of us who are retiring," Shuntich said.
He said more women are entering the car maintenance business because the pay is good and it's challenging.
Holt grew up studying design and illustration and her favorite type of art is color and emotion. But she has been able to adjust and make the most of what she has to offer.
"I would rather do portraits than landscape art," she said. "And when the mechanical work is done and the car is detailed to look brand new, it is truly a work of art."
To suggest someone for a Saturday profile, email Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com.