PEEKE student soars at Bob Gillingham Ford Dealership!

Connor and Bob Gillingham

It’s a rainy afternoon in Parma when Connor Murphey walks through the doors of Bob Gillingham Ford Dealership for his Wednesday evening shift, but the gloomy weather hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm.

Connor, who loves working on cars, tried to get a job at the dealership, but they couldn’t hire him because of his age and budget restrictions. Enter PEEKE, a Y.O.U. 180-hour summer internship program for high school juniors who are paired with a mentor in the career field of their interest.

Y.O.U. placed Connor with the dealership, paid his wages, and provided him with intensive work readiness training. “The internship gave me a head start and a foot in the door,” says Connor.

Since starting his internship at the dealership, Connor has soared. “He’s a smart kid who picks up quick,” says Dino Miceli, Connor’s mentor and a Ford Senior Master Technician of 25 years, a position Connor covets. They loved him so much they hired him when his internship ended. Connor now works there three days a week after school.

Upon high school graduation, Connor will enter a Ford curriculum training program at Cuyahoga Community College, where he’ll earn a degree in applied automotive technology in just three years.

Through this internship Connor has found a career he loves and looks forward to pursuing. “It’s nice to be able to come to work and do what you love.” Well said, Connor.

Programs like these and more help us put students and young adults on a path economic self-sufficiency. Click Employment or Educational Programs to learn more.