OTC January Student of the Month, Dakota Hess-Baker
OTC extends congratulations to our January Student of the Month, Dakota Hess-Baker. Hess-Baker is a 2014 graduate of Delaware Valley High School, Milford, Pennsylvania. He started his training at OTC in July right after he graduated from high school.
In the six months he’s been a student at OTC he’s missed just one day of class due to a mandatory orientation for his part-time job. “I’m really committed to my training. I even quit a job that required me to work more hours than I was comfortable with, because I knew my grades would suffer. Working on big engines has always been my goal, and eventually I want to get into the generator class here.” Hess-Baker works hard in class and maintains a 94.23% GPA. He admits coming to Cleveland for his training was a little intimidating. “When I visited the college that was the first time I had ever seen a four lane highway. You could say my home town is in a very rural area, so coming here was a huge culture shock for me.”
He knew he would need to practice his route to school, so he made sure to travel it a few times before his first day of class. “I was moved in about a week before classes started. I got up early and drove the route several times during rush hour to see how long it was going to take to get there.” He makes sure he’s to school by 6:30am each morning and prepared for the tasks required to be successful. His instructors all acknowledge Hess-Baker is a privilege to have in their class as he exudes such a positive attitude.
Congratulations Dakota!!