Working -- Taylor Mai

--Story by Deirdre Newman

HE IS

A mechanic in training

MENTOR PROGRAM PAYS OFF

While some high school seniors will spend the summer pounding the

pavement, Taylor Mai has already landed his dream job as a shop assistant

at J and S Automotive in Costa Mesa.

The 18-year-old found his calling as part of the Mentor for the Day

program sponsored by the Newport Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

Mai, who graduated from Newport Harbor High School last week, spent a

day at the shop last year and made such a great first impression that the

owner, Josef Spiegel, sought him out a few months later and offered him a

job.

Spiegel said Mai has the automotive know-how to eventually become a

mechanic.

“He’s learning, and it’s not an easy thing,” Spiegel said. “It’s not

an easy trade at all. It takes longer to be a good mechanic than a

doctor.”

THE MYSTIQUE OF CARS

Mai was drawn to the allure of cars and the mystery of the parts under

the hood at an early age.

“The main thing I got into was remote-controlled cars -- playing with

them and pulling them apart,” Mai said. “I wanted to go on a bigger scale

when I got my license.”

During the mentor day, he worked at the shop with another student.

Spiegel said Mai stood out from the beginning.

“It seemed as though [Mai] was a little more conscious of what he was

doing, while the other students just blazed through it,” Spiegel said.

So Spiegel offered Mai the opportunity to bring his own car to the

shop and play around with it, and also offered him a tentative job.

Mai, who was working elsewhere at the time, didn’t take advantage of

Spiegel’s offer.

So after going through a revolving door of shop assistants, Spiegel

tracked Mai down at his other job and offered him a better deal. This

time, Mai accepted.

“I just kind of thought, ‘Wow,”’ Mai said. “I never had anyone search

me out for a job. I quit my job that day and started here the next day.”

GAINING A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE

As the shop offers comprehensive auto repair, Mai gets the chance to

get his hands dirty working on many different services, such as oil

changes, brake jobs and motor swaps. His favorite cars are Fords, he

said.

For the past year, he has been working every day after school for two

to five hours. This summer, he will work while attending summer school.

Mai said the challenges of the job include using the wrong tools and

“going too tough on delicate things when you’re not supposed to.”

The reward is learning a practical skill that can be used in everyday

life, Mai added.

A FUN WORK ENVIRONMENT

Spiegel runs a laid-back shop, complete with a beer tap near the

coffee machine.

“He’s a cool guy, not hard to work for, very understanding,” Mai said.

Mai has earned Spiegel’s trust so much that he now has keys to the

shop.

And he feels relieved that he has found a comfortable place to hone

his skills.

“It’s relaxing here,” Mai said. “I’m not really an executive school

person. I’m going to get through high school and move on.”