Even as a teenager, senior Blaise Serate keeps building on his fascination with cars he’s harbored since childhood. 

“Blaise has a big interest in fixing anything and everything. He’s always working on cars, lawn mowers. He’s got his own business. So, he’s always maintaining his own lawn equipment, his own snowplow equipment, plus he takes on a lot of hard jobs for other people,” auto shop teacher Jeffrey Kment said. 

Ever since Serate was a young child motorized vehicles fascinated him. For many years of his adolescence, Serate had taught himself how to modify and tweak cars to his liking. Now, as a senior in highschool, Serate has purchased his second car, a 2018 6.7 Cummins Ram that he uses for his landscaping company “Serate Scapes.” Although he already had plenty of hands-on experience in the past, Serate still takes a two-hour auto shop class to refine his skills. 

“He’s a good, well-rounded student. He’s very self-motivated, having his own business and taking on other stuff for people,” Kment said. 

With owning his own business, constantly taking in his vehicles would not only be a waste of time but also a waste of money. Teaching himself and being taught about how to fix his car has saved him hundreds, allowing the bulk of his income to go back into his business. Beyond his strong work ethic, Serate also believes in giving genuine prices for his services and not overcharging for his work.

“I hope I’m encouraging him, I try to guide him on what path to go. Do you keep a vehicle longer and maintain it more, or do you get rid of it and move on to the next one? Things like that,” Kment said. 

Despite his talent, Serate stays humble. Regardless of how good his skills are, Serate is always looking to improve his work. When he’s looking for professional advice, he wastes no time in asking Kment. Whether it’s trying out a new tool or learning how to clean up his, he is willing to become as accomplished as possible.

“I’ve always been pretty passionate about cars and trucks ever since I was a little kid,” Serate said. “I’ve just always been into that stuff.”