Showing Students How It's Done Since Day One

Mike Smith has been teaching students at PIA Myrtle Beach since the day the school’s doors opened in January of 2012. After a decade as a PIA instructor, Smith is now preparing for a whole new adventure: retirement.

“The school opened with two official instructors and myself,” recalls Smith, who was volunteering his time at PIA even before he was officially on the payroll. He joined the regular faculty shortly thereafter and has been a mainstay at the school ever since, even serving as lead instructor for several years.

“Things were very lean in the beginning — we spent a few years with just four total instructors, one for each quarter,” said Smith. “We’ve obviously grown a lot since day one.”

Asked what he’ll miss most about teaching, Smith answers without hesitation: “The students. When you see someone finally understand how to do something, and their face lights up because you were able to explain it in a way they never thought of before, that’s the real joy.”

Teaching others how to make sense of machines has been part of Mike Smith’s nature ever since his early days as a hot rod mechanic. A lifelong gearhead, he eventually instilled this same passion in his children, Joshua and Abby. Today Joshua is a Specialist at Mazda Motorsports while Abby works and races in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

Originally from Rochester, NY, Smith first found his way to Myrtle Beach in the 1970s when he was stationed at the city’s Air Force Base for more than three years. There he served as a weapons mechanic responsible for loading guns, missiles, and bombs onto the planes. During that time