Miss-Delectable
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Deaf student finds mentor in manager of auto body shop
Tim Arnold gave a confident double "thumbs up" and a broad grin to Jack Perna, who returned the gesture. Though there's not an exact translation in American Sign Language, the two communicated the universal symbol for how they feel about their student-mentor relationship.
Perna, the body shop manager at Whiteman Chevrolet in Glens Falls for 17 years, is working with the 19-year-old deaf student in a three-week BOCES auto body internship to fulfill requirements for his two-year career-tech program.
It's not the first time Perna has worked with a special needs student over his 11 years of mentoring, and Brian Scheerer, Arnold's BOCES instructor, said Perna was chosen on purpose. Other mentors might not want to deal with issues like deafness because it could require more effort, Scheerer said.
"They're not only running the business but they're helping this kid. It's a trust; we knew Jack and Larry (Perna's brother) would do a good job."
Through the BOCES program for auto body, Arnold receives classroom instruction in technical math and technical English and then applies what he has learned to real-life situations.
For three weeks, Arnold has cut metal, done body work and primed and painted autos. On this last day of his internship, he was working on the restoration of a 1970 Camaro, wielding a buffer over the matte-gray car sitting atop a platform. It's a career Arnold would like to pursue, he said through his interpreter, Leah Clem.
Perna said he would take any student who was interested in auto body work but especially one who had special considerations, like deafness. In the past he had a student with learning disabilities, too.
"I think we have a quality shop and it's a good place for them to learn," Perna said.
Arnold showed up in November with an interpreter, but by the third day of his internship, he preferred to communicate with the five shop employees on his own through either texting on his cell phone or writing messages on a piece of paper taped to the wall.
"He puts myself and my brother to shame with his text messaging because he's so fast," Perna said. "He keeps us on our toes."
Arnold's disability doesn't matter in auto body work, either, Perna said. It's more about being able to see and work with one's hands.
"You watch paint go on and you look at it; you know if it doesn't look right you stop and you sand and you go back over it. (Arnold's) ability not to hear will never hinder him in this industry," Perna said.
John Major, placement coordinator for BOCES, sees these internships as "tremendously successful." Not only are students given an opportunity to see if they really like what they're doing, it also provides networking experiences.
"The Myers Education Center out of Saratoga will work with approximately 300 to 350 students out of 21 career-tech programs," he said.
Perna, a former owner of the Madden Hotel on South Street who recently sold his share of the investment, said he hasn't made any special accommodations for Arnold and that his employees have learned a lot from him.
"My guys here have a better understanding that people come in and you have to deal what's handed to you. It takes a guy like Tim to change everybody's attitude in the shop toward what their abilities are, what they can learn in a little bit of time," Perna said.
Arnold has been an asset to the shop for the time he has been there, Perna said, and he hopes their paths will cross again soon. Arnold feels likewise.
"They've been really helpful, open-minded. Teaching me about honesty and integrity and the right way to do the jobs and not cheat customers. Larry and Jack have both been awesome to work with," Arnold signed.
Tim Arnold gave a confident double "thumbs up" and a broad grin to Jack Perna, who returned the gesture. Though there's not an exact translation in American Sign Language, the two communicated the universal symbol for how they feel about their student-mentor relationship.
Perna, the body shop manager at Whiteman Chevrolet in Glens Falls for 17 years, is working with the 19-year-old deaf student in a three-week BOCES auto body internship to fulfill requirements for his two-year career-tech program.
It's not the first time Perna has worked with a special needs student over his 11 years of mentoring, and Brian Scheerer, Arnold's BOCES instructor, said Perna was chosen on purpose. Other mentors might not want to deal with issues like deafness because it could require more effort, Scheerer said.
"They're not only running the business but they're helping this kid. It's a trust; we knew Jack and Larry (Perna's brother) would do a good job."
Through the BOCES program for auto body, Arnold receives classroom instruction in technical math and technical English and then applies what he has learned to real-life situations.
For three weeks, Arnold has cut metal, done body work and primed and painted autos. On this last day of his internship, he was working on the restoration of a 1970 Camaro, wielding a buffer over the matte-gray car sitting atop a platform. It's a career Arnold would like to pursue, he said through his interpreter, Leah Clem.
Perna said he would take any student who was interested in auto body work but especially one who had special considerations, like deafness. In the past he had a student with learning disabilities, too.
"I think we have a quality shop and it's a good place for them to learn," Perna said.
Arnold showed up in November with an interpreter, but by the third day of his internship, he preferred to communicate with the five shop employees on his own through either texting on his cell phone or writing messages on a piece of paper taped to the wall.
"He puts myself and my brother to shame with his text messaging because he's so fast," Perna said. "He keeps us on our toes."
Arnold's disability doesn't matter in auto body work, either, Perna said. It's more about being able to see and work with one's hands.
"You watch paint go on and you look at it; you know if it doesn't look right you stop and you sand and you go back over it. (Arnold's) ability not to hear will never hinder him in this industry," Perna said.
John Major, placement coordinator for BOCES, sees these internships as "tremendously successful." Not only are students given an opportunity to see if they really like what they're doing, it also provides networking experiences.
"The Myers Education Center out of Saratoga will work with approximately 300 to 350 students out of 21 career-tech programs," he said.
Perna, a former owner of the Madden Hotel on South Street who recently sold his share of the investment, said he hasn't made any special accommodations for Arnold and that his employees have learned a lot from him.
"My guys here have a better understanding that people come in and you have to deal what's handed to you. It takes a guy like Tim to change everybody's attitude in the shop toward what their abilities are, what they can learn in a little bit of time," Perna said.
Arnold has been an asset to the shop for the time he has been there, Perna said, and he hopes their paths will cross again soon. Arnold feels likewise.
"They've been really helpful, open-minded. Teaching me about honesty and integrity and the right way to do the jobs and not cheat customers. Larry and Jack have both been awesome to work with," Arnold signed.