Long before he was an ASE-certified master mechanic and an award-winning Automotive instructor, Rashawn Smith was just a guy stuck in a parking lot with a car that wouldn’t start.

Popping the hood of his ‘95 Honda Accord, but having no idea what he was looking for, he hiked down the road to O’Reilly Auto Parts and asked for advice. After four hours, and several trips back and forth to O’Reilly, Rashawn got his Accord running again.

“It was liberating,” he said. “To figure it out, and to realize that I could be good at it.”

That realization led him to explore a career in auto mechanics. He discovered the Automotive Program at Shoreline Community College and enrolled in the General Service Technician and Honda PACT programs. Two years later, he became the first person in his family to graduate from college. 

Now a professor in the same Automotive classroom where he once sat, Rashawn is focused on empowering students, delivering high-quality training, and building meaningful relationships throughout the industry. 

He prioritizes open communication between students, faculty, and community partners to ensure that the program is serving everyone. He checks in with his students to find out what they need and updates the curriculum regularly, not only to keep pace with new vehicle technology, but also to support different learning styles. 

“I’m not only teaching,” Rashawn said.  “I’m learning. I learn from each of my students how they see things and what their learning strategies are.”

The Honda program does more than just teach technical skills. The foundation built in the classroom is accompanied by paid internships with local dealerships, where students gain hands-on experience and make valuable industry connections. Rashawn conducts regular evaluations to make sure the dealerships are getting what they need, and that his students are getting the tools and training they need to succeed. The results of this attention speak for themselves: after interning, 100% of graduates receive job offers. 

As important as this training is, Rashawn knows that student success also means addressing the challenges that can derail an education, like financial stress. 

“There should never be a financial burden for an education,” he said. If cost is a barrier, “we’ll find a way to make it work.” 

Rashawn takes a proactive approach to helping students navigate the challenge of paying for college. Every quarter he devotes space on his Canvas page to scholarships. And when the scholarship application opens, he makes it an in-class assignment. This allows students to complete a scholarship application without the stress of fitting it into their already busy schedules. It also provides immediate access to assistance. If questions arise, students can be connected to Enrollment Services or Financial Aid without losing momentum. 

Rashawn’s efforts to create a successful, student-centered program have not gone unnoticed. In his four years as an instructor, he has earned significant recognition. He is a two-time recipient of the Honda Challenging Spirit Award, which honors excellence in supporting students and dealerships, he has earned Shoreline’s Exceptional Faculty award, and in 2025 the Shoreline program was named the top Honda program in the country. 

Rashawn is proud of these accomplishments but speaks of them with modesty and a communal spirit. Of his Challenging Spirit Award, Rashawn said, “this recognition is not mine alone. It reflects the incredible students who inspire me, the colleagues who collaborate and uplift, and the community that makes this work meaningful.” 

Community is a word that comes up a lot when speaking with Rashawn. He talks about working with Amber Avery-Graff, his colleague in the Automotive program, to push students to succeed and to support student populations that are underrepresented in the auto industry. He talks about connecting with other instructors to support students struggling with their math requirements. He talks about collaborating with David Berner and Melanie Ruiz in Student Services to make sure students are fully supported throughout their college journey. 

“That’s the community,” he says. “That’s the teamwork.”

All these efforts culminate with the graduation ceremony. Here, graduates gather with family and friends in the Automotive building, Rashawn speaks to them about the challenges they’ve overcome and the strength they’ve displayed, and then everyone dives into a Texas-style BBQ prepared by Rashawn and his wife.  

Rashawn’s appreciation for meaningful connection has deep roots. Growing up in a community where many early role models were taken away too soon, he credits his mother with showing him how to treat people. 

“The way my mom was with her kids…she taught us to look out for each other. You can learn from each other. You can reach out to each other. When someone has something to say, you listen. It’s a respect thing.”

In secondary school, Rashawn encountered Mr. Nickerson and Ms. Leong, the first people to show him that teachers could be looked up to as leaders. 

“Ms. Leong…she was tough, but she started every day by asking students if they ate and telling students that they mattered and they belong,” he recalled. “I carry that with me everywhere I go.”

Last year, he carried that right back into Ms. Leong’s classroom. While on a work trip in New York, Rashawn, along with colleagues from Shoreline, visited Ms. Leong’s class. It was their first reunion since he was her student. He told the kids in her class that he once sat where they sit, and now he’s a college professor. He showed them what was possible. And, as she once did for him, Rashawn showed Ms. Leong just how much she mattered. 

For Rashawn, these enduring relationships are essential. He stays connected to his students after they’ve graduated, and he invites them back to campus to share their expertise with each new cohort. In doing so, he contributes to a lasting network of support where connections are made, students become mentors, and the community lifts each other up. 

“That’s the culture we’ve created,” Rashawn said. “That’s the culture that will stick around.