Mark Haner didn’t set out to hire a Scholar. He was just looking for help in the shop.
Haner, a member of Avenue Scholars’ Board of Directors and Director of North American Sales at LinkedIn, also runs Haner Haus Vintage Works, where he restores classic vehicles. When an old friend told him about his nephew who was interested in a career as a mechanic, Haner told his friend to bring him by.
Last November, Kaleb Canova visited the shop for the first time.
“I’m wearing an Avenue Scholars shirt, and Kaleb goes, ‘What do you know about Avenue Scholars?’” Haner recalled. “(I said) ‘Well, I’m on the Board there,’ and he said, ‘I’m an Avenue Scholar.’ And I thought, ‘What are the odds? … Everything happens for a reason.’”
Almost a year later, Haner said, “I’ve got a wonderful employee, and Kaleb, he’s helping me bring people’s dreams to life and put them on the road.”
Show Up, Work Hard, Ask Questions
Canova, who completed Avenue Scholars’ High School Program at Millard South High School and is now finishing a degree in Powersports and Outdoor Power Technology at Metropolitan Community College, said his time at Haner Haus has given him the valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience working as a mechanic.
“I’ve learned a lot from Mark,” he said. “I just like that it’s not sitting behind a desk on a computer doing work all day. And just being able to see something from start to finish, how it started, and then putting in all the work time and seeing how it ends. I really enjoy that part of it.”
Canova said Avenue Scholars served as a steady, stabilizing presence in his early professional life, introducing him to the possibility of different careers and helping him figure out his next steps. An overarching goal of the program is to help Scholars develop both the confidence and the tenacity to succeed in their careers – something Haner has watched play out firsthand working with Canova.
This past year, Haner said he’s watched Canova learn new skills and grow into a valuable addition to the business. Canova recently plumbed an entire fuel system for a vintage truck – no easy feat for someone just starting out, Haner said.
“Having a guy who’s an eager learner, shows up, works hard, asks questions, is really what you’re going for whenever you want to work with someone,” Haner said. “The things that Kaleb was standing, watching, and asking (about), he’s now doing while I’m doing other things. So, production is already multiplying, and it’s a really proud moment for me, and I hope, fulfilling for Kaleb.”
Learning about Life in the Shop
Both Haner and Canvoa said working in the shop has taught them valuable lessons about work, life, and themselves.
For Haner, restoring cars has given him a break from his regular office job and has helped him forge new connections with the broader car community.
“It’s really created kind of a contrast with working with my mind all day and working with my hands all night, and I really appreciate that,” he said. “The car community is wonderful. Everyone’s always down to help each other. There’s people stopping by all the time, either they need a hand or need a tool, or that are offering a hand, and that’s really fun.”
For Canova, the experience has helped him develop the interpersonal skills that are essential for a young person starting any career: confidence, patience, and fortitude.
“Just trying to figure out why something’s happening, not just that it is, and figure out how to fix an issue,” he said. “Overall, if something in my life isn’t working, instead of just getting upset, I’ll take charge, figure out what’s wrong, try and fix it.”
“Same with an engine,” he said.
