Jesse Kangas-Hanes: Faculty

What subject(s) do you teach?

Automotive Technology

What about your subject(s) gets you passionate?

I love taking apart, finding the cause of a problem and reassembling the cars. Making a machine that has over 200,000 parts moving at speeds up to 8,000 times per minute and staying synchronized makes for an accomplishment to brag about.

Why do you love teaching at GHC?

GHC has been so supportive of all the projects that I have wanted to do to teach students old, current, and upcoming technology. The faculty, staff, administration, and the community are so supportive.

What are some of the cool experiences students can look forward to in your classes?

I think the coolest experience my students get is that I am not afraid to take on projects. One of the coolest things is having hands on experience with hybrid battery work. Forming the auto club and starting the process of building an electric race car has been an awesome experience as well. During the quarter that we learn about airbags, I set airbags off as demonstration.

What are some of the cool things you’ve been able to do / your students have achieved through online learning this year, that you wouldn’t have ordinarily?

Since our program is very lab oriented, we have been able to be in the lab through most of the pandemic. We have used an online based virtual lab program through Electude. Definitely, the coolest thing we have been able to do is our online lectures and having the support of the administration to create a virtual lecture that the students have said is like being in the classroom.

What is your favorite part about working at GHC?

My favorite part of working at GHC is the support and concern from my counterparts and the administration. Being able to walk out of my office and around a lake is definitely a benefit as well.

Are you working on any research projects/ books / etc. that you can tell us about?

The only real project that I am working on is building curriculum for a service writer/parts counterperson class with my co teacher and the community.

What do you do when you’re not teaching at GHC?

When I am not teaching at GHC I am home with my wife and four kids either playing on watercraft or building remote control airplanes, cars, helis and boats. I also enjoy some programming of arduinos. Which has now merged into Arduino-controlled RC airplanes that can fly preprogrammed autonomous flights. I am currently studying to take my student pilot test so I can start flying and hope to eventually buy a Piper Cherokee 6/300.

Anything else students should know about you or your classes?

My classes are ran more like a business then a class. Students have to be able to communicate with customers, source parts, diagnose, and repair all while learning the systems and parts.