Jay Abitz, an automotive teacher at Freedom High School, and his students are building a reputation amongst the Freedom, WI veteran community. Abitz has leveraged his connections with local organizations and industry to fund the repair and donation of a vehicle to a local veteran for the third time, a project that has also received support grants from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools.

This year, students put their skills to use refurbishing a 2012 Chevy Malibu for Marine Corps veteran Thomas Andrejeski, who served from 1976-1985. The project included changing out oil and air filters, replacing the brakes, tires and serpentine belt, repairing damage to the rear bumper, and more. Jonny Bradle, a former student who owns a detail shop, surprised Abitz and students with a free buff, polish and detail on the car as a final touch.

“I was really excited to do this project with Jay simply because I started here when I was in high school,” Bradle said. “This automotive program, I’ve always loved it; it made me want to go to school and do what I do today.”

The donation goes beyond benefiting Andrejeski, who was in disbelief when he was presented with the vehicle. Andrejeski is a resident at the Wisconsin Veterans Village in Grand Chute and regularly drives friends to the VA clinic, grocery store, and other appointments around town. The project also gained local media attention, highlighting not only the positive impact of skilled trades education programs but also the needs of deserving veterans in the area.