Joe the Mechanic

“Joe the Mechanic”

by P.G.F.III

“Growing up in Antigua, I always wanted to be a mechanic. I would

watch them work on the engines and learn what I could. I would always dirty

myself to look as if I was one of them. I took interest in those kind of things. I

always knew what I wanted to be since I was a little boy.”

Rolston Joseph, who now teaches mechanics at Kean High, lived in

Antigua until the age of 21 when he moved to St. Thomas. In Antigua,

Joseph attended the Boarding Government and the King Federal School.

He later attended the George Brown College in Canada to pursue a career

in aviation.

“What I’m teaching here is quality education. This is information that

you can only get by going to school. I want to make sure that all of my

students will have a job or will be pursuing a career when they get out of

school. I refuse to let them waste away outside on the corner of the street.

It’s ridiculous how much these children take their education for granted.”

The diesel engine room went quiet as he thought about the past. He

sat down on the desk with his arms folded and a smile on his face. Mr.

Joseph wore a black polo shirt with khaki dress pants. His hands were dirty

from working with the tools in the class. He laughed as he thought about

some of his more memorable experiences in the field.

“Back when I was working on the field, there would be all sorts of

hazards. One time, lightning struck the area I was working in. A loose screw

shot up into my arm like a bullet from a gun. If there was one thing that I

learned, it was to always be aware of my surrounding. I wonder what ever

happened to that screw.”

Mr. Joseph is a certified diesel and aircraft technician. He formerly

worked for LIAT Airline. In addition to teaching diesel mechanics at Ivanna

Eudora High School, Mr. Joseph takes on multiple freelance jobs within the

community and off island, specializing in diesel engines and airplanes.

Mr. Joseph plans to continue teaching children the techniques of the

trade. He enjoys reading and educating people. He wants to teach youths to

stay away from violence and do things that are good for them. Mr. Joseph

believes that a good man works while his friends play.

“I am a peaceful man. I’ve never had any problems with the law and

such. I am a man who is willing to teach and is still willing to learn.” It was

easy to see that he was no stranger when it came to talking about himself.

Mr. Joseph is a Catholic and a strong believer in God. He believes that

we should all teach and learn from each other. He is married with one child.

He is a man that is not afraid to say what he thinks. He easily gets along with

the students within his class.

When asked about possible influences and inspiration, Mr. Joseph

responded, “People that I admire are men like Galileo and Rudolph Diesel.

They had strong ideas that had revolutionary results. No matter how hard

the situation got, they still managed to pull through in the end.”

As the interview ended and his class began, we shook hands as he

continued on with his lesson on the diesel engine. It seems that Mr. Joseph

is always open to talking about his work and his experiences. To describe

Mr. Joseph, I quote the famous line from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury

Tales, “And he would gladly learn, and gladly teach.”