Mr. Varrelman


I am not the easiest person to keep focused. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true and it’s always been an issue of mine. So going into autos my senior year, I remember telling myself that I would have to work hard to pay attention in class. I like cars and these were skills I very much wanted to absorb but I knew that wouldn't stop me from drifting off. Yet, thanks to Mr. Varrelman, I didn't have an issue. Believe me he’s not always working with the most interesting material. I think it’s a feat for anybody to have to talk about how to read wiring diagrams for 80 minutes and make it interesting. But Mr. V likes to use jokes to make the class fun. For example, one time there was a punctured tire, Mr. Varrelman asks the class, “Does anyone know why you shouldn’t breath in the air?” … (silence) … “It’ll make you tired.”


Mr. Varrelman does a lot for his students besides just teach. Let’s say your car has a problem, a problem that doesn’t necessarily relate to the current curriculum. Typically if you didn't have the necessary tools and or the know-how, you would have to pay someone to fix it. But at Arrowhead, you can bring your car into autos and if you have the time in lab, he will teach you how to fix it. This is not something he is required to do, nor does he achieve any personal gain when he does it, but yet he does. Have you ever been pulled over on the side of the road with car issues and someone, a stranger no less, pulls over to help? You might drive away thinking about how kind that person was. Now imagine somebody who does this on a weekly basis. That is Mr. Varrelman. He does this so often that people are shocked to discover that it’s not part of his job description. People have the same reaction when they discover that it’s not his job to jumpstart people’s cars when it’s cold or even give advice on autos related purchases and dilemmas. But Mr. Varrelman does all of this not for his own personal gain, but because he cares.


For all these reasons, I am nominating my autos teacher Mr. Varrelman for the contest. I see this as a small thank you for his continued years of dedication to teaching and genuine interest and care for the well being of his students.