LAKEWOOD, Colo. — At Warren Tech School, students are driven to succeed and Frank Arellano is the fuel behind their drive.
"He listens, he helps out anyone who’s just struggling," said student Grace Link.
Each Wednesday, you'll find Arellano in the custom and collision class passing along the wisdom only years of experience can teach.
"To me, he’s a role model and he’s a great friend. He helps me in everything I don’t understand," student Anthony Estrada said.
The "car bug" has always run in the Arellano family.
"My father was around cars forever," Arellano described.
So when Frank, a long-time teacher, retired he wanted to brush up on his own automotive skills and enrolled in the trade class.
"I came as a student but after that, I realized I could be more beneficial if I just became a tutor and helped the kids," Arellano said.
That was five years ago. Today, he is a consistent mentor, often explaining techniques to students in both English and Spanish. He even helped Grace Link ensure she could pursue her passion, helping her get a scholarship.
"It’s because of him I got the scholarship and am here in this class and I really appreciate it a lot," Link said.
It's his big smile and easy nature that helps steer these kids in the right direction.
"Just working with the kids is enough pay," Arellano said.
"We need more people like Frank in the world," added instructor Jim Porter.
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