Browse
Log in / Register
Share
EASTON, Mass. — On April 27, 2026, a single mother stood outside Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School holding keys to something she had never owned before: a car.
Esclanette Germain came to Massachusetts from Haiti in 2024. She supports her son on her own, works at FedEx and is studying mental health. Until this week, she arranged her life around bus stops and train platforms. The commute swallowed roughly 13 hours each week. For a working parent, that kind of lost time means missed shifts, extra stress and fewer chances to build a different future.
The vehicle she received is a refurbished Acura MDX, restored by students in the school’s automotive and collision repair programs. The project was coordinated with Second Chance Cars, a Massachusetts nonprofit that pairs donated vehicles with vocational schools and then gives the finished cars to people who need reliable transportation.
“I didn’t expect that,” Germain said during the surprise handover. “It’s a very big surprise for me.”
The surprise did not happen quickly. Students inspected the vehicle, replaced worn parts and repaired damage before it was ready for the road. Along the way, the project became about much more than mechanical work.
Germain’s daily life is a balancing act. As the sole provider for her son, she needs steady work, but she also needs time to study and be present at home. Without a car, those demands were constantly colliding.
She used to ride multiple buses and trains to get where she needed to go. Even when the schedule worked, the trip took hours. A car changes the math: shorter travel time, more flexibility and the option to work additional hours when her son’s routine allows it.
“It’s gonna help me a lot in my future to save more time, to have more opportunity so I can work more hours,” Germain said. “It’s going to help me.”
For the students who rebuilt the SUV, the project carried a lesson that no textbook can fully cover. Repairs done in a school shop could always be reworked or refined. But this vehicle had a real owner waiting, and that changed how seriously they approached every step.
Jarrod Lussier, vocational supervisor at Southeastern, said the job felt different from the usual classroom assignment.
“This one’s like extremely special that it’s going to help out a single mom, it’s going to help her get to work, it’s going to help her family, help her provide better,” Lussier said. “From that point of view, it’s very heartwarming.”
Automotive students handled the mechanical side of the refurbishment. Umar Mohamed Faizer, an automotive student at the school, described part of the work.
“We swapped all four tires, brand new tires, new TPMS sensors, then we did an oil change and multipoint inspection,” Faizer said.
Collision repair students also played a major role. Jaymiro Montero prepared and welded a patch to repair a rusted section of the vehicle. That kind of repair requires patience and precision, because a rushed patch can fail long after the project is finished.
The collaboration is one example of how career technical education can produce work that benefits the wider community. Students get experience with real-world problems, from worn parts to body damage, while someone in need ends up with a safer, more dependable vehicle.
Workforce development advocates often point out that reliable transportation is one of the most overlooked requirements of a steady job. A person can have the right skills, the right training and the right interview outfit, but without a way to get to the worksite, none of that matters.
In communities like Easton and across southeastern Massachusetts, public transit can only do so much. Buses and trains are not always timed around early shifts, evening classes or jobs located in outlying industrial areas. For workers without cars, those gaps in service become barriers to career advancement.
Programs like Second Chance Cars attempt to close that gap. The nonprofit takes donated vehicles, sends them to vocational programs for student-led repairs and then awards them to people referred by partner agencies. It is a model that helps the recipient and gives students a chance to see their skills used in a meaningful way.
Germain said the gift was bigger than she expected, and it is clear the impact will extend beyond her commute. With a car, she can plan her day around her family and her education instead of around a transit schedule. She can take on extra hours when she needs them and still make time for her son.
The vehicle will not erase every challenge. But it removes one major obstacle and gives her breathing room to keep moving toward her goals.
“I didn’t expect that,” she repeated, still processing the moment. “It’s a very big surprise for me.”
For the students at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, the real reward was not just a polished Acura leaving the garage. It was the knowledge that their work helped a mother get closer to the life she is building.
The keys are now hers. The hours on buses and trains are behind her.
