OTC is catching up with another alumnus from our December 2015 yearbook cover. Joe Mayers is pictured in the passenger seat but he was very much in control of the direction he wanted his career to take. Mayers only had 4 days after his high school commencement ceremony to mentally prepare, pack and to drive to Cleveland to attend OTC. “I wanted to get started right away,” he says. He left everything familiar behind and embraced the excitement of a new environment and meeting new people with similar goals. “Given a common point of interest we all had, it was very easy to make friends with my new room-mates and other students.”
Mayers is now working at Peak Power Systems in Middleton, New York. He credits his six honor rolls, perfect attendance, student of the month recognition and working as a campus tour guide for having a signed employment contract before he completed the generator program. Mayers works on residential and commercial generators and is certified in Generac products. His daily responsibilities include servicing, repairing, and testing standby generators. The applications range from medical buildings to schools to apartment buildings. “While I attended OTC, I worked as a campus tour guide.
This helped me hone my public speaking skills and boosted my confidence and my ability to speak in front of strangers.” Mayers is only 22 years old and has excelled after graduation at much the same rate he did while he was an OTC student. He had a maturity level beyond his years. He was a member of OTC’s Student Leadership Council, helping with on-campus events and working towards positive change for current and future students. Mayers benefits daily from his participation. “The social strength I obtained still assists me in working with the other technicians and contractors I encounter on a day to day basis.” Mayers has no regrets or second thoughts with his career choice. “I believe my training paid off exponentially. Not only have I been in my career for almost 3 years, but the college enabled me to have the ability to work anywhere in the world and be professional while doing it.”