RDAU_2026-ISSUE0809_DIGITAL MAGAZINE

THE WASHINGTON POST (JAN. 12, 2026), COPYRIGHT © 2026 BY THE WASHINGTON POST. “Getting the students involved has a direct impact on them. … It builds character and empathy,” Eddie says. “Everything has a ripple effect.” About 20 students work on each car, handling tasks such as fluid changes and battery testing, as well as repairs on brakes, tires, and heating and cool- ing systems. “They get a real shop experience,” says Shane Robertson, an automotive teacher at the school. “You’ve got real life intersecting with education.” When a car is complete, it’s towed to a shop to undergo a safety inspec- tion before students present it to the new owner. Before winter break last year, Holden Pekary, 16, and his classmates pre- sented a repaired vehicle to a woman with a baby. “We raised the garage doors, and we all clapped for her,” he says. “It was nice. I put the license plate on the car for her, and she had a little baby in her arms.” Knowing where the cars are going, Pekary says, is motivat- ing. “It gives you more of a purpose.” Rader says she remains stunned by the students’ dedication: “It gave me a different perspective on adolescents. There was nothing in return for them.” She has three sons—ages 15, 9 and 5—one of whom lives with his father. Before the students fixed up the car for her, Rader often relied on lifts from friends and family to get to work and to get her children to activities. Rader had long struggled with drug addiction, she says, and after becoming sober in March 2022, she lived in a transitional home, where she was told about Giving Words. “It wasn’t even three months later, and they gave me a car,” Rader says. “Be- cause I had that vehicle, I was able to go from a part-time job to a full-time job; I was able to start school.” She finally had a car to drive her sons to and from school, to doctor appointments and extracurricular activities. Rader says the students’ generosity has left a lasting impres- sion. “There are people,” she says, “who just want to help people.” High school students present a single mom with a car that they refurbished. ANDREW WOOLFOLK/LOUISA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VIA WASHINGTON POST 102 August/september 2026 GO SOLAR WITH THE BRAND AUSSIES TRUST R e a d e r ’ s D i g e s t V o t e d b y A u s t r a l i a n s 2026 S o l a r P a n e l I n s t a l l e r s l P a e s solahart.com.au Take control of your energy future with a total home energy solution from Solahart, Australia’s trusted solar experts since 1953. If you’re ready to go solar, contact your local Solahart dealer today. SCAN FOR MORE INFO