At 71 years of age, Philip Deline, is a true testament of Henry Ford’s belief that “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Mr. Deline’s passion for auto body repair began in , working for a Ford Dealership in New Jersey. “Years later, after it was built, you could see the Giant’s Stadium from the office” Mr. Deline reminisced. After 22 years of working for dealerships, Mr. Deline decided to venture out on his own.
Phil’s Auto Body was established in New Jersey, where it earned its reputation for quality workmanship at reasonable rates. Phil remembers the day when William Ford, Sr. walked into his shop, and Phil asked him for his autograph. His favorite memory of his shop, however, is of his daughter peddling her tricycle around the shop floor on days she didn’t attend daycare. Phil’s Auto Body has since relocated to Mr. Deline’s hometown of Elco, where his passion for working on cars continues on a part-time basis.
In a quest to take his years of experience to another level, Mr. Deline is working on obtaining his auto appraiser license. His desire to put life’s experiences on paper also lead him to seek out a writing course at California University. To accomplish either of these goals, however, he first needed to attain his GED. Having been pulled out of school at the age of 16, Philip never had the opportunity to graduate with his high school class. Intermediate Unit 1 at PA CareerLink Mon Valley offered Mr. Deline an opportunity to study and prepare for today’s computerized GED exam. Two days each week for nine months, he dutifully attended GED Preparation classes and completed his homework assignments. On , his diligence paid off, and he successfully passed the General Equivalency Degree exam. Mr. Deline continues to work with IU1’s job developer in applying for his license through the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
“I’m really glad there is a place like IU1 at PA CareerLink to help people” said Deline. “I could just feel my mind expanding, and it really felt good. It’s good to know, too, that it doesn’t stop here. I’ve spent all my life working on cars and writing up estimates, and would now like to pursue getting my license to work as an insurance appraiser on a part-time basis. I have all the information I need to move forward, and IU1 has offered to help guide me through the process.”