Success stories at ICC are no surprise
 | | Shown is the photo, ESBOCES student Danny Pivowar drilling a hole in a body panel, which was later attached to a jeep. |
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When Grumman laid off hundreds of Long Island employees, Richard DeBetta, who had worked on the lunar module, turned to Eastern Suffolk BOCES for employment. With an associate's degree in mechanical technology from Suffolk County Community College, a bachelor's degree in vocational education from City College and a master's degree in education administration from Stony Brook, he knew he had a lot to offer. He forged ahead on a new career path, one that he knew would make a difference in the lives of others: teaching high school students interested in automotive technology. That was 29 years ago.
A dedicated teacher to the teenagers enrolled in his Islip Career Center class in Oakdale, DeBetta has paved the way to successful careers for his graduates. Among them is Ricky Fernandez of Brentwood. The teenager became as dedicated to his education as his teaacher was to offering it, and together they secured - with the help of Toyota - enrollment in Universal Technical Institute in Houston, Texas. There, Fernandez became certified in collision repair and refinishing. "That UTI diploma," says DeBetta, means he can work on cars anywhere in this country.
 | | Shown in the photo, high school senior Dennis McKee demonstrates the proper way to polish a car as teacher Richard DeBetta watches. |
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For more information on auto body repair and refinishing, call Principal Tom McGrath at 631-244- 5932.
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