Dan Smith has always been interested in how things work.
When he graduated high school he focused that interest in the pre-apprenticeship General Mechanics program at what was then called East Kootenay Community College.
“I grew up on a small farm and worked on others as a teen and the machinery fascinated me,” Smith said. “Also, I always looked up to my grandfather. He was the type of guy who could repair almost anything. I liked the idea of bringing life back to something that had stopped functioning.”
Graduating from General Mechanics (now Automotive Service Technician) in 1983, Dan went on to complete his Red Seal Automotive Mechanical Repair certification at Okanagan College. He then embarked on a successful 35-year career in Automotive Mechanics at various locations in Cranbrook.
In 2018, the opportunity to work at his former alma mater, now called College of the Rockies, arose. He was quick to jump on it and is currently the Shop Assistant for the Automotive Service Technician and Heavy Mechanical programs as well as an auxiliary Automotive Service Technician instructor.
“I am enjoying working here at the College,” he said. “It’s a great place to work with fantastic, inspiring people. I started, and now will finish, my career at this great institution. I’ve really come full circle.”
Learn more about College of the Rockies’ Automotive Service Technician program.