Wherever Victor Claudio has been in his life, the ocean has never been far away. He grew up near its sandy shores. As an adult he was a diesel mechanic in the Coast Guard. And today he is lead tech for Mercury Marine at Disney world. He loves working outside and being out in the salty fresh air of the ocean.

When Victor got out of the Coast Guard he went to school at Marine Mechanic Institute (MMI) in Orlando, FL to get a formal education in how to work on watercraft. He knew that he wanted to continue in a similar direction as what he was doing in the Coast Guard.

“I wanted to stay on that track. I was a mechanic and enjoyed working outside, troubleshooting engines, and figuring out how to fix them. That made me happy.”

Victor credits MMI in helping him develop the skills needed for his job today. He also feels that one needs to care about what you do, that whatever your occupation – you should be excited about it. No matter what skills or training, if you don’t have a passion for what you do, it can be difficult to go far.

“You need to like what you’re doing. If you don’t like what you’re doing you’re not going to be successful. I liked what I was doing in the Coast Guard and I wanted to keep it going.”

Victor appreciated the flexibility of classes at MMI, which let him work and go to school at the same time. He enjoyed the course work and hands on experience. He learned new skills that he would need and tried to get as much as he could out of being a student.

“Take advantage of the time and grasp everything that the instructor is teaching you, take notes and study every day. Ask as many questions as you want and pick the brain of the instructor no matter your level of experience.”

After graduating from a program like MMI, Victor thinks that getting an entry level job that lets you do a variety of work will help you out in the future. As a lead tech, he knows that his job requires a variety of skills, both technical and personal.

“There’s a lot of competition and it helps to be well rounded like being able to do rigging, troubleshooting, as well as being able to explain to customers what needs to be done.”

As a lead tech at Mercury Marine at Disney world, Victor gets to do what he loves by working on boat engines and being there to help troubleshoot problems. By following his heart in what he loves to do, and keeping himself near his other true love, the ocean, Victor never strayed from the career path that would put him exactly where he wants to be.