FOR THE MIRROR | Joseph Agruso
THE BIGGER PICTURE After months of practice, Senior Oscar Ortiz is able to demonstrate his talent in an area he loves the most.
For 20 years, Mr. Joseph Agruso has been dedicated to working with students through the Automotive Academy at our school.
He began teaching in 2004 with the aim of rebuilding the automotive program, which had been shut down for some time.
“The program was shut down for a couple of years, but then I joined and it’s been fun,” he said. “Great kids, great programs and lots of success.”
He began at Galpin Ford as a part of the Automotive Youth Education system where he helped students find internships at dealerships.
“I didn’t want to be a teacher, but my wife said I should do it and I started when my son started school, and here I am 30 years later,” Mr. Agruso said. “It turned out to be the best job I’ve ever had.”
Throughout his time at our school, he has worked towards building a very successful automotive program, helping students gain real-world experiences and prepare them for potential careers post high school.
“There’s not one dealership in the San Fernando area that doesn’t have one of our students working there,” Mr. Agruso said. “If you walk into every one of the dealerships, you’ll find one of our students that has found a career.”
Senior Sebastian Spiridon shares he was encouraged by his father to join the program.
“My dad inspired me to pursue an education in automation technique and I actually chose Van Nuys High School because of their amazing automotive program,” he said. “My dad owns an automotive repair shop so ever since I was a kid I’ve always been a part of the world of cars.”
Throughout the various opportunities that students have in the automotive academy led by Mr. Agruso, Spiridon recalls one that was particularly meaningful to him.
“We went on a field trip down Van Nuys Blvd to talk to a couple of Keyes dealerships,” he said. “I thought it was just going to be a tour of some sort but Mr. Agruso had us bring job interview portfolios. Throughout the tour I heard Mr. Agruso say multiple times ‘If you can fix a car, you have a job.’ It’s one thing to hear it but to believe it is another.”
During the tour they were sharing with the students the job opportunities available, but it wasn’t until Spiridon went in for an interview that he believed Mr. Agruso’s claim.
“I never would have thought I would’ve had the opportunity to get a job at a dealership in high school,” he said. “When it came my turn to do an interview I landed a spot at Toyota and I was more than thrilled. That moment is when I truly believed, if you can fix a car, you have a job.”
Not only has Mr. Agruso provided opportunities for our students to find jobs, but schools such as San Fernando, Sylmar, Narbonne and Bell High School have all benefited from his guidance in hiring and program development.
“We were able to help other schools build programs that mirrored what we were doing—give them a roadmap, help them with hiring and connect them with industry,” he said. “The goal has always been to make sure students across the district have access to the opportunity.”
Beyond the school district, Mr. Agruso works with the state to help other schools.
“I work broadly with the whole state of California, enhancing automotive programs across the state through Zoom meetings,” he said. “Then I actually have physical meetings. May 15 and 16th I’m flying to Sacramento to work with the board of directors and kind of implement and help develop programs across the whole state.”
Spiridon, now working in the industry, shared how the program helped shape his future.
“I am actually currently working in the automotive industry,” he said. “After spending about five months at Toyota as a technician, I had the opportunity to work at Lexus on a service advisor apprenticeship position that would set me to continue to build my career long term and after high school.”
He also spoke about his favorite hands-on experience in the program.
“My favorite hands-on experience was during my freshman year with Mr. Agruso when, for our final, we got to disassemble and reassemble an engine,” he said. “It was an amazing hands-on experience and it was so cool to see how all the parts go together.”
Mr. Agruso has acknowledged that it was only through the continuous support of administration and everyone involved that he has been able to provide countless opportunities for students.
“It really takes a village,” he said. “This program wouldn’t be successful unless I had good administration. If I didn’t have industry support, it wouldn’t work. If I didn’t have the teacher’s support, it wouldn’t work. So I feel humbled, because there’s a lot more people that deserve that award, other than just me. Thank you, but this award belongs to everyone.”
Reflecting on Mr. Agruso’s overall impact, Sebastian added his own words of gratitude.
“Mr. Agruso is not only an amazing automotive teacher but an inspiration to all his students alike,” he said. “He creates opportunities for us all and thrives for us to be better not only in the skilled capacity via hard skills but also in soft skills like leadership, self-motivation and perseverance.”
In addition to real life experiences, he has helped students be prepared for the world after high school through support in crafting portfolios.
“He’s helped us build our portfolios to the max and has given purpose to them by taking us to job sites and seeing if we make it given the chance to,” Spiridon said. “He constantly wants us to thrive and that’s what makes Mr. Agruso not only an amazing teacher, but a friend, an inspiration and a leader for us all.”
Mr. Agruso says his goal is allowing students to explore to their fullest potential to later be successful.
“The success for them is the success for me,” he said. “If they’re not successful, then I’m not successful so watching them excel kind of keeps me coming.”
His love for the job also allows him to continue working towards building new opportunities for his students.
“The biggest thing is don’t take no for an answer,” he said. “And it’s just you enjoy what you do, it’s hard not to be happy here. There’s a lot of good things that happen.”