By KATIE LACKEY
Student Reporter
He softly mutters to himself as he slowly and carefully attempts to jack the car up off the ground to replace a faulty, breaking caliber.
Cole Cronin, a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, spends most of his time consumed by football or class. He transferred here from Garden City Community College after they shut down the general mechanic program, leaving him two credits short of an associate’s degree.
Decked out in Northwestern football attire and driving a big white dodge truck, Cronin is not someone you would expect to have had multiple colleges offer him scholarships to join their choir program.
It was a new, enthusiastic football coaching staff, along with a few close family members that persuaded Cronin to attend Northwestern, where he now pursues a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. After he obtains his agriculture degree, he hopes to attend the Northwestern Technology Center to finish up his general mechanic requirements and major in diesel mechanics.
Cronin’s interest in mechanics began at an early age. He said, “I started out working on little bikes, then lawn mowers and then I moved up to bigger pickups while helping dad with the farm.” Cronin says the most frustrating part of being a mechanic is when he isn’t able to fix the problem.
It was his original plan to open his own garage after graduating, but because of a lack of funds, he is going to work for a man in Medicine Lodge.
For now, Cronin will continue to help out friends with their car troubles, even if it means squishing under a tiny car on a cold January evening.