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Meet the PeopleOur Students

STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OUR AUTOMOTIVE SCHOOL OFFERS.

Most students at Newgate learn best by doing. They thrive because we provide auto body and mechanic training in a hands-on setting. The benefits of this approach are especially true for students who couldn’t reach their full potential in a traditional school setting. Once they’re enrolled at Newgate in Minneapolis, MN, things change for the better.

Some students left high school before graduation and now wish to learn technical skills to move into career employment. Others are immigrants or sons and daughters of immigrants. Some struggle with English but are able to learn with Newgate’s hands-on training. Still others are referred by social or educational agencies. All our students are at lower income levels and struggle to financially support themselves and their families.

Despite their varied backgrounds, Newgate's students work together toward the common goal of training for their futures. They are on the path toward careers as auto body technicians and automobile mechanics with good pay and expanding job opportunities. After 12 to 18 months of training, they’ll leave Newgate equipped to launch their careers as full-time employees in the auto industry, providing financial security for their families and becoming thriving citizens in the community.

Learn more about our auto body or auto mechanic programs as well as our training approaches by contacting us at 612-378-0177 or contact@newgateschool.org

If you want to support Newgate’s work and students, please consider donating your vehicle, for which you will receive a tax deduction. This will give our students a tangible work project, and the sale of donated automobiles cover our school’s expenses.

MEET SENG

Congratulations to Seng Yang on his graduation from Newgate's Auto Body Training! Seng came to Newgate with little knowledge about auto body work but over his 14 months here he has been a fantastic student. He is always willing to help his instructors around the shop or help other students with new skills. As Seng leaves Newgate, we are sending him with a tool kit and tools he will need for his new full-time job. The Hourglass Scholarship Foundation helped fund Seng's tool kit for being such a great student. While being a student at Newgate, Seng has also been working part-time at Caliber Collision in Woodbury and will now be starting in a full-time role. We are very proud and excited for him to begin his new career!

MEET JAMES

James was a talented student here in Newgate’s Auto Mechanics training program and quickly understood complex and abstract concepts. He started at Newgate in June 2023 and became very skilled at using hand tools and was always willing to help other students learn. His favorite car he worked on was a Pontiac 97 Firebird and the most challenging car was a Chevy Traverse. James hopes to one day become a Master Technician and is excited to continue learning in the automobile industry. After graduation, he is off to work at Chevrolet of Wayzata as a Light Duty Technician and we’re sure we will succeed in his new job. Congrats James!

MEET OLIVER

Oliver started in Newgate's Auto Mechanics program in May of 2023 and says his instructors taught him pretty much everything. He worked on a total of 48 cars with his favorite and most challenging being a Lexus LS400 V8. Following his graduation, Oliver will be working his dream job at Metropolitan Airports Commission as a Service Equipment Worker. He will be working on utility vehicles for the airport right away and is very excited to get started. Oliver was a rockstar student here at Newgate and a great leader to have in the Mechanics shop. He will be missed but we are excited for him and this great opportunity. Congratulations Oliver!

MEET MEPHEW

Congratulations to Mephew Yang on his graduation from Newgate's Auto Mechanics program! He started at Newgate in May 2023 just after he graduated from the Hmong College Prep Academy. Mephew didn't know much about cars when he came to Newgate but his eagerness to learn did not go unnoticed! He arrived early every day and worked hard to further his knowledge of cars and mechanics. Of the 49 total cars that Mephew worked on, his favorite was a 2011 Audi A6 3.0t 300 Supercharge. Mewphew is now hired at Lexus of Maplewood and will be spending his first six months working in Lube Tech Express. All of us at Newgate are so proud of Mephew and wish him great success in his career. 

Thanks to Newgate's Tools Program, Mephew is leaving Newgate with a tool kit filled with all the tools he will need for his new job. Donations to our tools program help support our students in their early careers by making their job search expense free.

MEET ROBINS

Congratulations are in order for Robins as he graduates from Auto Body training! Right from day one, Robins proved he was hard-working and mechanically inclined. His great attitude and fun personality added a lot to the school and the program. And perfect, yes perfect, attendance was an extraordinary achievement and went a long way towards providing multiple opportunities for employment. Robins received 4 total job offers and decided to accept an apprenticeship at Heppner’s Auto Body Midway location. You definitely want this guy fixing your car. Heppner's is lucky to have an exceptional young man like this working for them.

Congratulations, Robins, from all of us at Newgate School. We wish you great success in your automotive career!

Please keep donating your vehicles to our training program so we can continue to turn out great automotive technicians like Robins and keep the automotive service industry alive!

MEET BEATRIZ

Beatriz came to Newgate School after spending 4 years in the Marines learning electronics. While she enjoyed the work, it wasn't something she wanted to do long-term. When she heard about Newgate's Auto Mechanics training, she was excited about the prospects of learning that trade. Beatriz was an awesome addition to the student roster. She's a very focused student with a knack for problem-solving. Give her a tough diagnostic, and she was able to put her head down, work independently, and persevere until she understood the problem and got it fixed!

 

She's now hired at Heppner's Auto Body, learning and working in their Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). She will be primarily focused on collision avoidance technology and driver aids, such as night vision, driver alertness, and adaptive cruise control. It's a great opportunity to work in an emerging aspect of the automotive industry. Her background in electronics and her training at Newgate gives her a real advantage to move up in this career pathway.