John Stevenson

Student

Bay College sophomore John Stevenson is majoring in automotive technology. As a former student of Escanaba Senior High School, John said the location of Bay’s Escanaba campus was an important part of why he chose to take college classes there.

“It was close to home,” he said.

He began studying at Bay during the fall 2019 semester. Unlike many students, John did not have to decide what he wanted to do with his life after starting college – he had already planned to major in automotive technology at that point.

John said working in automotive technology has been his “dream.” He went on to say he appreciates the field’s focus on finding solutions to the wide variety of issues that can affect vehicles.

“It’s problem-solving – a lot of thinking involved,” he said.

Other factors that played a role in John’s decision included the good pay and opportunities to interact with others that automotive technology-related work can offer.

As he continues to take classes at Bay, John said his experience at the college has been going well so far. One highlight for him has been the support provided by the school’s staff and faculty.

“If you need anything, you can talk to your teachers, your co-advisors,” he said.

Bay’s automotive department has more than six decades of combined experience teaching and advising students and placing graduates in the automotive industry and related positions.

John is also involved in the Federal Work-Study Program, which is intended to help students finance their education while building skills and gaining real-life experience for their future careers. He said the work he does primarily involves cleaning and sanitizing the automotive lab.

“(I) make sure everything is up to par,” he said.

In addition to his studies and work at Bay, John is a member of the Bay College Norse men’s cross-country team.

“It’s been good – very challenging,” he said, adding that his involvement with the team has been a good way “to get stress out of college classes.”

In the future, John plans to attend the Ohio State University and begin his business degree, along with enlisting in the Marines. Eventually, he hopes to open his own mechanic shop/garage. He said he has learned many things at Bay that he will need to know in this role, including how to diagnose car problems, how to maintain a shop, and how to work with customers on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s a good learning experience. You develop more maturity going through college, compared to high school,” he said.