From classroom to career. How some Pasco classes are changing students’ lives

It’s common for high schoolers to get a part-time job after they turn 16.

But how about starting your own small business?

That’s what Morgan Almeida did. She’s the owner of M.A.D. Morgan’s Auto Detailing, a direct-to-driveway upholstery and car cleaning company.

“I kind of really got into it,” the Pasco High School junior told the Tri-City Herald. “I feel like I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing their reaction.”

Almeida is passionate about cars — German manufacturers, to be specific. She’s turned her hobby into a busy seasonal business and, thanks to her experiences in her school’s auto mechanics classes, is on track to pursue a career working on vehicles.

She’s a sterling example of the impact and success high school career and technical education (CTE) programs can have on students seeking a more hands-on education experience.

Young passion

Almeida’s love for cars began her freshman year, when she made friends with a classmate who had a tricked out Honda Civic.

“I just fell in love with how they looked, how it sounded, all the things you can do with the body and modifications,” she said.

Her sophomore year, she transferred in district from Chiawana High School to Pasco to attend auto shop classes.

When she got into those classes, she soon found out she was one of the only female students.

“It feels a little bit, like, yeah, I’m the only girl and this is awesome. But it’s also a little intimidating because they already know a lot of the stuff,” said the 16-year-old. “I learned a lot about friendship when it came to working on cars. It’s not just a one-man job. It takes a lot of teamwork.”

Pretty soon, she was doing tire mounts, alignments, oil changes, car lifts and was troubleshooting engine systems. Almeida said Pasco’s auto mechanics program has taught her a lot about consumer vehicles, and it’s given her confidence in carving out a post-high school career path.

Math and history class didn’t interest her all that much after that — it was all about working on cars.

Family business

During the summer, when Almeida has the spare time, she and her father pack her 2012 Civic with a vacuum, steamer and brushes and get to work.

As far as Morgan’s Auto Detailing goes, it’s just her and her father. He’s the “muscle” of the operation, she said.

“We wax, we polish. We pretty much make your car look brand new,” she said.

The genesis of Morgan’s Auto Detailing started last year. She was talking with her parents about earning some extra money by cleaning cars.

They thought it was a great idea, so they started buying her tools, brushes, scrubbers — nearly everything she needed. She also made herself business cards to make it official and help get the word out.

What does the process look like?

Almeida said it usually starts with a posting on Facebook Marketplace. After the customer makes contact, she’ll inquire about what services they’re interested in and give them an estimate (most packages start at $75).

From the cleanest commuter, to the mom with kids — she’s cleaned and buffed a lot of cars, and met many interesting clients.

“One time I got customer who gave me mushrooms as a tip. Like, they were a mushroom farmers,” she said. “My mom made something with it... Honestly, that was a really fun day to clean that car.”

After high school, Almeida plans to attend a trade school to pursue a career as an auto mechanic for BMW or start her own business working on BMWs. Her father drives a BMW M3 that she “fell in love with.”

Pasco bond measure

Pasco High School’s CTE classrooms haven’t seen any major overhauls in more than 25 years, school officials say.

But thanks to a recently passed property tax to build new schools and upgrade facilities, the autoshop classroom where Almeida found her calling will get a much-needed face lift.

“I feel like they bring opportunities for students here with these programs,” she said.

Pasco auto tech teacher Oscar Murguia said the demand for these programs is high and students need to be trained on modern equipment.

“Enhancing and modernizing existing equipment and adding new equipment so students can start learning how to work on electric cars will help our students be on the cusp of the latest industry trends and prepare them for secondary education and jobs,” Murguia said in a statement from the school district.

The new bond will fund $12 million in improvements at Pasco and Chiawana high schools to ensure programs mirror the industry so that students are prepared to work in these high-demand fields. The details of what that look like are still being ironed out.

Construction on those upgrades will begin in spring 2026. In addition to Pasco High’s automotive program, its CTE food and nutrition programs will see improvements. At Chiawana, STEM classrooms and agriculture science labs will be improved.

The bond will also pay for the construction of two new high schools in Pasco: A new comprehensive high school in West Pasco will serve about 2,000 students, and a career and college academy in East Pasco will serve about 600 students with credentialed programs, industry certifications and hands-on experience.