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...Now, the other thing I need to mention, this stuff didn't happen during normal school hours. The regular students these teachers got were the kind that goofed off, had no respect for authority, and just in general, didn't treat the people in charge with respect. My teachers had a lot of good advice about life in general. They'd warn people that the same psychology that led to 'senioritis' or 'senior skip days', would indicate a lack of integrity to employers, which was not good for their job outlook. They also took their own time to help people who asked for assistance. I even passed physics because my robotics coach had a unique way of explaining stuff, and he was able to turn all of the confusing gibberish into something I understood (He was a math teacher).

Unfortunately, while serious students loved these two teachers, the ones who didn't really care (Like the regular engineering students who skipped when hunting season started, or the kids that refused to do their homework), just rolled their eyes, and said nasty stuff behind their backs. The girls were catty, they'd insult life advice that they really should have taken more seriously. The guys would completely ignore the 'no horseplay in the shop' rule, and they'd throw heavy, three-pound metal brackets across the room (This isn't an exaggeration, one time I nearly got hit in the head with one of those. It was a disaster waiting to happen). For the robotics coach, people would blame him when they were too lazy to do their own homework. They really hated the robotics coach, because when they didn't do what they were told, he actually held them accountable, and considering the wit of this guy, it wasn't a good idea to talk back to him, either.


These two teachers, I give them a lot of credit, because in particular, the engineering teacher is the main reason I have my job as an intern where I work. My boss was one of his contacts, and he had promised to send two of his students their way. He gave me the opportunity to submit a resume, and then I was able to go into the facility, take a tour, and the funny thing is, my boss and the people in charge were goofballs, just like my teacher. I wound up completing an interview, and I was having such a good time talking to these guys, I didn't even know that I was doing a job interview until after the fact.

I should also mention, not only did I get the job, but also, a little while later, I got a phone call from my engineering teacher, and he told me that I had been offered a scholarship. It was a scholarship I'd never applied for, but as it turns out, he had actually gone out of his way to get me recommended, and they actually offered it to me, based on his recommendation. I got to go to an award ceremony that I never thought I'd attend, and I got to go up and accept my scholarship, while my engineering teacher got a Presidential Teacher of The Year award, and my teacher's father (His dad actually lives in my neighborhood), got a really special community service award.

Now, a year later, I do more for the people I work with than what I think a normal intern gets trusted with. They asked me to stay on top of the amount of hours each of our machines has been operating, so we know when to replace parts. They want me to keep track of what goes onto the ISS and what comes back down, and to make sure that all the paperwork can be found. I've done filing work for a lot of my coworkers, and I've even designed a part that was officially approved for use at the facility.

Actually, though, I was only supposed to work during the summer months, but I ran into a cleaning lady who works there (Yes, a cleaning lady said something that had a lasting positive impact on my life), and she told me that if I wanted to keep working there, she was sure that I could ask and they would let me come in during time openings during the fall and spring terms. I was originally not going to do that, and just be a student with no job at all while I took classes. I didn't even think I had an option, but as it turns out, they gave me indefinite access to the building, and now I come in and work where my schedule allows it.

Well....I wound up making a gigantic rant again, so into a spoiler this goes. If you read this, I'm glad you felt it would be worth your time.