Still running off of the task set forth at the beginning of the year to invite industry members from outside the State of Maine, Mid-Coast School of Technology had yet another amazing guest speaker for students in their programs. Auto Collision teacher, Danica Wooster took on the challenge with a “go big or go home” approach. She emailed a few big name industry members with a hope to hear back. She quickly heard back from Chad Hiltz and Jolene MacIntyre of Bad Chad Customs.  

Hiltz has made a living in the automotive industry building custom vehicles.  He has grown in popularity due to his social media presence as well as his tv show on the Discovery Channel, Bad Chad Customs.  While there is a long background to the success of Hiltz, his message to the students was simple. His message to the students was simple – make mistakes and learn from them every single time. He encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities they have at Mid-Coast, and to not let a label define who they are. He described how success really starts from within, and reminded the students that they have all the control in creating their dreams. Once students leave Mid-Coast he encouraged them to “…put their work clothes on and follow your dreams.”, adding, “If you do not have a dream, it will not come true.” He spoke of the importance that the students find something they love doing and to pursue it with hard work and determination. 

Throughout the presentation students were actively engaged and nodding their heads in agreement.  Even while Hiltz reminded them not to compare themselves to others and to only worry about what they are doing, students continued to be in agreement. Tom Vannah, Auto Technology, asked specifically how Chad handles the pressure of social media since he has such a presence (69.5k followers on Instagram, 123K subscribers on YouTube).  He reiterated that, “What someone thinks about me is none of my business. I do not concern myself with what other people think or say about me.” 

While the message was simple, it was clear and valuable.  Danny Hupp, Small Engines & Compact Diesel, concluded the chat saying the, “…message was a breath of fresh air for 

2021.”