Georgia Teen Greases the Gears of His Future With Diesel Tech Program

How 17-year-old Jasper Byrd is turning school, grit, and grease into a full-blown diesel career

At just 17, Jasper Byrd already has his hands deep in diesel engines—and his sights locked on a solid career path. Between high school classes, college credits, and shop work in Calhoun, Georgia, Byrd’s life runs on engines, elbow grease, and ambition.

He’s not waiting for opportunity to knock. He’s building the door himself—piece by piece, gear by gear.

One Foot in High School, One in the Garage

Jasper Byrd isn’t your average high schooler. While most students are worried about prom dates or final exams, he’s already rebuilding engines.

Byrd attends Coahulla Creek High School, but he’s also enrolled in Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) through its Dual Enrollment program. That means he’s taking college-level courses while still knocking out his high school diploma.

He takes classes at the Whitfield Murray Campus in Dalton, which is about a 20-minute drive from where he lives in Whitfield County. He expects to graduate with a diploma in Diesel Equipment Technology by spring 2026. At this rate, he might have more certifications than birthdays.

Early Wrenches, Early Lessons

Jasper didn’t just wake up one day and fall into this field. It’s been coming for a while.

He says he started getting interested in machines during his early teens. “By my sophomore year, I began thinking about my future,” he explained. “I’m mechanically inclined and grew up working on equipment, semis, and a little bit of everything.”

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And now three more. His instincts paid off—literally. Byrd landed a job at Ford of Dalton, where he soaked up lessons in teamwork, inspections, professionalism, and customer interaction. You know, all the soft skills nobody teaches in a textbook.

Learning the Ropes at Tractor & Equipment Company

These days, Byrd’s clocking hours at Tractor & Equipment Company (TEC) in Calhoun. And he’s not just sweeping floors or fetching wrenches.

He works as a shop mechanic handling diesel engine cleaning, diagnostics, and pre-delivery services. TEC, a major equipment provider with 20 locations across Georgia, Alabama, and northwest Florida, rents, sells, and services heavy machinery. For a teenager, it’s a big-time gig.

• Jasper’s responsibilities at TEC include:

  • Running diagnostic tests on diesel engines

  • Cleaning and prepping machines for delivery

  • Gaining hands-on repair and troubleshooting skills

“Working at TEC is fun,” he said with a grin. “The job is a natural fit for me.”

That fit didn’t come out of nowhere. His hands-on experience from GNTC and time at Ford gave him the foundation he needed to jump in and contribute right away.

What He’s Learning in the Classroom—and Under the Hood

One of the key pieces that shaped Jasper’s skillset is his experience under Sal Gonzalez, program director and instructor for Diesel Equipment Technology at GNTC.

Gonzalez, a veteran mechanic himself, has spent years training students not just on the mechanics, but on the mindset.

“Jasper has developed professionally at a rapid pace,” Gonzalez said. “The advancement and development of his skills, knowledge, and experience within the Diesel Equipment Technology field have led to real growth.”

Here’s what makes a difference, according to Jasper: learning diagnostics from books and from doing it in real life.

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At GNTC, he’s learned everything from basic engine anatomy to advanced diagnostic tools. But what stuck most were the techniques you don’t get from manuals—those only a seasoned mechanic like Gonzalez can teach.

It’s About More Than Diesel—It’s About Drive

What stands out about Jasper isn’t just his knack for machines. It’s how seriously he takes his future.

Most 17-year-olds aren’t thinking five years ahead. Jasper? He already knows he wants to work full-time in diesel repair and possibly get into fleet maintenance or heavy equipment systems. The work’s hard, he admits. But he actually likes it that way.

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And then a few more. His story is also a shoutout to programs like Dual Enrollment and career academies, which help students bypass traditional barriers to higher education. For students like Jasper, it’s a shortcut to real opportunity—without the debt or delay.

Not Just One Kid—A Sign of Something Bigger

Jasper Byrd might be one student, but his story reflects a broader shift happening across technical education in Georgia.

More teens are ditching the four-year college path in favor of hands-on trades, driven by rising costs and a growing demand for skilled labor. Diesel mechanics, HVAC techs, electricians—they’re not fallback options anymore. They’re smart bets.

Here’s what national data says about diesel mechanics, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

And in Georgia, the demand is even hotter. Between Atlanta’s booming construction scene and regional transportation hubs, companies are constantly looking for trained hands like Jasper’s.

GNTC’s Diesel Equipment Technology program continues to see strong enrollment—especially from dual enrollment students like Jasper, who want to hit the ground running after graduation.

Jasper says he’s grateful for the path he’s on. “GNTC has given me a good foundation to start my career,” he said. “I’m excited for what’s next.”