“I still remember the moment it lit me up inside…”

Zelie’s very first day in the workshop showed her something unexpected: toolmanship could build confidence, independence, and a whole new sense of what she was capable of. Curiosity turned into a spark that shaped her work and her future. As one of our original students, Zelie was part of defining the mission that became Bendix Academy. This is her story, in her own words.

Zelie begins by telling us that “Bendix Academy was the first thing that introduced me to the trades. I would have never considered or really ever thought of it as a possibility for myself because, in my eyes, it was only something I had seen men do. During classes with my mentors, I got to do things no one else my age or gender was doing. I got to use powerful tools, ask every question I could think of, and gain familiarity with all kinds of tools.”

“I still remember the first time I got to try stick welding. It was one of those things that felt like it lit me up inside. What was a foreign idea to me became something incredible I wanted to do, and so I did. For a season in my life, I worked at a manufacturing facility. As part of my job, I had the opportunity to further develop my skills in welding and apply the basic toolmanship skills I learned at Bendix Academy. There were many tools that I would not have known how to use, but because of my experience at the academy, I didn’t have that learning curve. Whether that skill was how to properly use a hammer or how to use a torque wrench, I used what I learned every day at that job.”

Learning Systems, Safety, and Common Sense

“Since I had already operated so many various types of machinery with Bendix, I easily learned more complex systems like the pressurized air flow tester used to find leaks in exhaust manifolds”, remembers Zelie. “Not only that, but I also understood how to operate them safely. Simple things you learn by making little mistakes with a mentor can encourage a not-so-common sense and prevent life-changing injuries that happen regularly in those facilities.”

“… it was only something I had seen men do.” -Zelie

Note: While Bendix Academy is not currently offering welding as one of our 2025-26 lesson tracks, we look forward to reinstituting these popular lessons as we increase our space and capacity.

Confidence Translates to Fixing and Saving

“My time with my mentors gave me the confidence to try to fix things on my own. When I bought my first car, I knew it had a few rusty spots. Those rusty spots quickly turned into bigger holes the size of my fist. Instead of junking the car or paying someone else a big chunk of change or waiting for it to compromise the structural integrity of my vehicle, what I might have done before, I decided to fix it myself,” Zelie asserts. “I got my supplies and spent a day painting a panel on my car, removing rust, and patching up my car with Bondo. I used a power sander to sand it down, sprayed a rust preventative, then painted over it with a factory match paint and a sealant.

“Was it perfect? No, but honestly, it looked pretty good, and I was several hundred dollars richer. I felt pretty proud of the work I had done, and it lasted until I sold it 40,000 miles later. These skills save you from making silly decisions like selling a perfectly good car or letting the rust simply run its course. Things that seem obvious to someone in an older generation aren’t necessarily being passed down to mine. This is the remarkable gift of Bendix. You can change your own oil, your own tire, and even assess things about your own vehicle yourself. It is not so common sense that I received from my mentors, and I continue to grow.” {Scroll down to see Zelie’s work on her car.}

“Things that seem obvious to someone in an older generation aren’t necessarily being passed down to mine.” – Zelie

“When I worked in an industrial kitchen at Damascus Missionary, I was helping feed 750 people every day. As you can imagine, it creates quite a pile of dishes. Well, what do you do when the dishwasher breaks? You wash everything by hand… unless you were a student with the Bendix Academy! Then you open that sucker up, ask for a wrench, and solve the problem. So that is what I did. I opened up the massive industrial dishwasher and tried to figure out the issue. I might not be a dishwasher repairman, but I was able to find a loose bolt that was wreaking a lot of havoc, request the correct tool, and fix it.”

“When the sink clogged at my work, I offered to fix it. When my friend has a rust spot of her own, I offer to help. Your apartment complex hates fixing your home? I can do it. I can do it. Like my great-grandmother working at Willow Run, riveting, fixing, and creating Massive airplanes. I can do it, and it’s powerful”, Zelie exclaims.

“it’s powerful”

“I will know how to work with my husband to renovate our home. I will know how to maintain my property. Even if you end up being a stay-at-home mom or wife, you will use these skills. I feel that Bendix Academy has made me a more competent person, and I am thankful for it!”

Zelie’s Advice to Young Students

If I could offer a piece of advice to the younger students, I would say to use your skills as often as you can. Offer your skills to others because their need becomes your experiential learning that will cement what you are being taught. If you can do it yourself, don’t pay someone. You have been given a unique ability, so use it and give it. That will truly make you the best student.

Starting in the Trades Gives You a Head Start

“If you aren’t sure if the trades are what you really want to do, the fun thing you get to find out as an adult is that most people don’t know what they want to do. Not only that, but those who do, half of them change their mind halfway through a very expensive degree.

“When you decide to work in the trades, it is often a much lower financial risk, and it will make it significantly easier, and in some cases, just what makes it possible, to change careers and pay for the next one without going into serious debt or falling into poverty.”

You’ll Never Regret Learning Skills!

“These skills will put you ahead of everyone. Take advantage of it and don’t worry if you choose the wrong one. If you like it more than flipping burgers at McDonald’s, that just might be the choice you are faced with. You won’t ever regret starting out in the trades. Don’t worry if you don’t end there.“

We’re deeply grateful to Zelie for sharing her story — a vivid reminder of what Bendix Academy makes possible. Her experience shows how hands-on mentoring builds confidence, problem-solving, and the courage to take on toolmanship challenges in work, at home, and for others.