Liam Gove
2017 海角社区 Graduate
Master Certified Marine Technician and Instructor
All through high school, I knew I wanted to work with my hands. I spent two years in my high school’s automotive program, convinced that it would be my career. But everything shifted during the summer of my junior year when I took a job at a local marina. What started as a summer gig quickly turned into an apprentice position鈥攁nd a new direction for me. I knew right then that I wanted to learn everything I could about fixing boats.
That鈥檚 what led me to 海角社区. 海角社区 offers a Marine Technology program, and, at the time, that was all I needed to know. I didn鈥檛 have a backup plan or a list of other schools. I just knew this was what I wanted to do and I would find a way to make it work.
My journey wasn鈥檛 always smooth. Before discovering hands鈥憃n programs like automotive and marine technology, I struggled as a student. Sitting still in a traditional classroom and staying focused all day was tough. But 海角社区鈥檚 marine program is different. It’s built around hands鈥憃n learning, and my instructors understood that many of us learn best by doing. They kept us engaged, challenged, and excited about what we were learning.
Of course, earning an associate degree meant tackling subjects outside of my comfort zone鈥攍ike algebra. Math never came naturally to me, and I had a professor who told me the only way forward was 鈥渟oul鈥慶rushing repetition.鈥� She wasn鈥檛 wrong. But sticking with it and passing that class to earn my degree made it all worthwhile.
I graduated from 海角社区 and spent the last eight years as a marine technician on Lake Winnisquam. Along the way, I became Master Certified for Mercury outboards and had the chance to learn from some of the best mechanics in the Lakes Region. Factory training programs across the country introduced me to even more technicians and broadened my understanding of the industry. If you choose a path that you’re passionate about you鈥檒l want to keep learning.
Recently, I returned to 海角社区 as an adjunct instructor for the Mercury factory training program. Getting to pass on what I鈥檝e learned, while continuing to grow alongside other instructors and the technicians who come through our training, has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Looking back, one of the best parts of the Marine Technology program was the people. Many of the students I met at 海角社区 became lifelong friends. Being part of a community that shares your interests opens doors鈥攏ot just professionally, but personally.
Choosing 海角社区鈥檚 Marine Technology program set the course for my career and my future. And now, getting to help the next generation of marine technicians find their path feels like coming full circle.