Hidden behind the South Gymnasium resides a fully-functioning auto shop, where students in an Auto Class or Auto Club work on the cars of H-F faculty or anyone else whose cars need repairing.  The shop, equipped with all of the tools and machines necessary to perform these repairs, is fully self-funded, largely by the Auto Snack Shop.  

Junior Aiden Laxton was introduced to the auto program when he took the Small Engines class in his sophomore year.  This year, not only is he in Auto Club, but he also takes three different auto-related courses.  

“Right now I’m doing a project on my aunt’s car,” Laxton said.  “We just did front brakes, and I’m doing a wheel bearing and a wheel hub. I’m actually in the middle of putting it back together right now.”

As Automotive teacher Daniel Brown explained, the Auto Class and club work together to deepen students’ immersion in the automotive field.  

“We coincide everything we learn in the classroom to the things we do in the club, as well as working on cars, planning for sales, making major projects, stuff like that,” Brown stated.  

This club is entirely self-funded, mostly by the Auto Snack Shop and partially by profits from work done on teachers’ vehicles.  

The Snack Shop profits goes into the H-F auto account, which allows the program “to buy parts for our cars, and more snacks, and just other things for the shop in general,” Laxton explained.  

The auto program takes field trips throughout the year, including visits to the Chicago Auto Show and Go-Kart racing.  While H-F Auto students used to be able to participate in racing, this is no longer possible since the insurance on the racing car, a Mustang, has been lost.  

“So at the end of 2023, we lost the insurance on our racing vehicle, the Mustang, and we have been debating for the past two years on how to get it back,” Brown said.  

Brown continued that he has looked into many different avenues to get the insurance back, one of which has been contacting different racing teams with the hope that they could provide support.  

He stays optimistic, though: “Stay tuned, H-F racing will be back soon.”  

“I just think automotive is a great opportunity for kids who like working with their hands.  Even if it’s not something that you want to go into after high school, it’s definitely a good thing to learn, and it’s a hands-on class,” Laxton concluded.  “We have a lot of fun in the shop.”

However, for those who do want to pursue a career in the automotive industry, Brown shared that the H-F auto program provides a unique opportunity for students to be immersed in the field.  

“If you want to do this for a living, you have to live every part of this industry, working on cars all day every day, getting your hands as dirty as you possibly can every day,” Brown said.  

He continued that, if you want to work in the industry, H-F Auto is “just making sure that, if you really want this and really want to learn how to work on cars, it’s your own decision, your dedication, that makes sure that you’ll succeed in life.”