Steven Singh

Automotive Technology teacher, Christopher Portincaso works on car in the autos garage.

The North Automotive Technology department is buckling up for changes with its new teacher, Christopher Portincaso. Although Portincaso is new to North, he has 25 years of experience, including co-owning an automotive repair and collision center with his dad. Portincaso’s experience with client-facing business has built his passion, preparing him for this role at North. 

In his time at North, Portincaso has found joy in the students and environment. Both the student attitudes and the physical workspace create welcoming surroundings. 

“Everybody’s got a good attitude. The place is beautiful,” said Portincaso. 

This love for the program has sparked ideas for improvement. He aspires to make changes to both the facility and the program. His goals for the space include updating the garage to accommodate more space for cars and having a more modern look.

“[Eventually] I’d like to actually make this space even bigger for us,” said Portincaso. “Where we [would] actually have multiple bays.”

Changes for the program would be providing more hands-on work, a wider variety of materials for the students and the experience of contributing to car shows. Specifically in the spring, North and East are collaborating in a car show. 

“[I’m] trying to get [students] actually working on stuff more,” said Portincaso.

One way Portincaso is actively trying to give his students more field experience, while simultaneously supporting the staff’s needs, is opening the department to servicing vehicles. If staff bring their vehicles in for light repairs or basic maintenance, the autos students can gain experience fixing them. Portincaso believes that this gesture is a win-win situation for his students and staff. 

“If there’s a need, we should fill that void,” said Portincaso. “The students need the experience, the staff needs the repairs, so we put them together.”