“Born to build” masonry expert switches to engineering through HFC

When two-time HFC alumnus John Shelton had the chance to continue his education, he jumped on it and didn’t look back.

“I was a mason for more than 20 years. I started to be the old guy on the job, and I wasn’t even that old!” said Shelton, of Garden City. “I was offered an opportunity to go back to college and that’s where I ended up. That’s what I’ve done for the past five years.”

Shelton, a 1988 alumnus of Columbia Central High School in Brooklyn, decided to attend HFC. His older brother Mike, a former administrator in the Dearborn Public Schools, and his son John, who now works for BorgWarner in Auburn Hills, are both HFC alumni and have spoken fondly of their experiences at the College.

“I was always good with my hands. Right out of high school, I got into Local 1076. I was building bridges, which eventually evolved into masonry. I became a bricklayer,” said Shelton. “As I got older, though, I realized masonry was a young man’s game. What changed it for me was quality of life. A lot of my buddies in the business were always nursing aches and pains. Work began to just hurt. My brother Mike, who has advanced degrees in special education, also inspired me to go back to school. This man can get hired anywhere in the USA. Heck, if I get an education, look what opportunities I may be able to consider! HFC was there for me.”

Born to build

Shelton earned his first associate degree in applied science – mechanical in 2018 and his second associate degree in pre-engineering in 2020 – both from HFC. He has been accepted into the University of Michigan-Dearborn but deferred his enrollment for a semester. On Aug. 16, Shelton was hired as a product development analyst at Ford Motor Company in Allen Park. He previously was a contractor for three years before being hired by Ford as a full-time employee.

“I’m still building. I’m just building something different. As a mason, I had to use different materials to get to the top of a wall. In the auto industry, I get to use other tools to create a prototype of a car. It may sound corny, but I was born to build. Being part of Ford is hard to beat,” said Shelton.

While Shelton knew how to build things, HFC Pre-Engineering Program Director Dr. Hassan Mohseni Nameghi taught him the science behind it.

“I have my builder’s license. I had my own masonry company for a few years called Shelton Masonry Inc. in Brooklyn. I built a lot of buildings, but never understood the dynamics behind it. Now, thanks to Hassan, I get the how and why, which gave me a better understanding of building, particularly when studying physics and calculus. It got more in-depth. That’s what drove me to keep pursuing my engineering degree,” explained Shelton.

Moving out of his comfort zone

That’s not to say Shelton didn’t struggle.

“I was out of my comfort zone,” he said. “I hit my threshold my final semester, taking chemistry and physics during the pandemic.”

Still, he gutted it out.

“I kept putting my time in,” said Shelton. “You need to show up. Woody Allen said that 80 percent of success is showing up. That’s critical in life. You’d be amazed.”

“John proved that mental strength is a critical key to being successful in school. He came in with a technical and trade background, but it did not stop him from moving out of his comfort zone, switching to pre-engineering, and completing the program, despite all the challenges he faced,” said Nameghi.

Shelton considers Nameghi a mentor.

“Hassan played a vital role in my success at HFC,” said Shelton. “He had this ability to react to a student concern without hesitation and offer a viable solution. That man helped me so many times. If I had a concern with anything, he just knew how to defuse it and problem-solve – that’s his engineering background coming into play. He’s a well-balanced individual, who understood the things I wanted to do. I can’t say enough good things about him; he helped me out immensely. Whenever I was frustrated, I could reach out to him. Being a sounding board for me made a difference in that last semester. It was a struggle, but I made it and couldn’t have done it without him. He’s a great person who wants everyone around him to succeed.”