Thanks to the guidance of a special teacher at Niles High School, several students can boast two great accomplishments.

First, they can add “fixing a car” to their resume.

But second (and in our eyes, more importantly), they can say they donated their time to help a man in need.

Under the direction of auto shop teacher Gary Kind, the students repaired several parts of a vehicle that had been sitting in a garage for almost a year. The car belonged to Ed Robinson, who is in failing health and awaiting a kidney for transplant.

We’re so happy to see that the students took the time to get their hands dirty and give back to someone who truly needed the help, and we owe a lot of that direction to Kind.

In this case, the repair was a win-win. The students were able to learn first hand to fix a vehicle, and a local man who is already dealing with the pain and financial burden of a severe illness was able to drive his car again.

Of course students attend school to learn the fundamentals: Reading, writing, arithmetic, but equally important are the life lessons students learn during their time in school.

Special teachers like Mr. Kind who go above and beyond to help those students deserve to be commended for their efforts.

We appreciate Kind and all of the students who worked hard to get the vehicle up and running, and encourage others in the community to learn from their generosity.

There are so many opportunities to give back if you look for them, and oftentimes the benefits of providing that assistance are even greater than the other party receives.

Great job to the Niles High School auto shop students, and thank you Gary Kind, for leading the efforts.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.