A Helping Hand
I’d like you to meet Nathan Zielieke, an Automotive Tech student at MPTC. Nathan gave me a helping hand, literally, at Kwik Trip a few weeks back, and I feel he deserves positive recognition for his good deed!
Let’s just say I MAY have been quite a bit overdue for an oil change when I happened to see him leaving the store asked him “How far over is TOO far overdue?” Without hesitation, Nathan asked, “Would you like me to check your oil level?” I declined at first, but he kindly insisted and I’m glad he did!
He pointed out “Your oil should really be up to this line on the stick, and it’s way down here, you should probably go into the store and buy a quart. I’ll come in with you.”
Nathan didn’t stop there, he proceeded to put the oil in – cupping his hand in place of a funnel. What an upstanding citizen and all around nice guy!
When I asked Nathan how he became interested in cars and working on them, his face lit up, “I’ve been working in the shop, tearing down engines and restoring old cars with my dad and grandpa since before I could walk. My dad and I keep my grandpa’s old cars running and bring them to car shows. I haven’t missed the Iola Car Show and Swap Meet since I was six.”
“Right now I’m working on turning the first car my dad bought at age 11 into a drag racing car, it’s a 1958 Ford Custom 300. I’m also restoring a 1984 F350 and getting a 65 F250 running. I can fix anything that has an engine 4-wheelers, boats, lawnmowers, snowmobiles, dirt-bikes, you name it.”
I asked Nathan about his time here at Moraine Park and what his future holds he said, “I like it here, I enjoy the instructors, the real-life experiences and all the joking around. I work in a shop in Fond du Lac right now, but after I graduate next year, I want to find a job in restoration. Someday, I want to own a shop restoring old cars – nothing beats a classic.”
Thank you, Nathan, for being such a great guy- and for using your Moraine Park skills for those in need!
