The Elkhart Area Career Center has officially dedicated its renovated motorsports space as the Herb Ulery Motorsports Space, in honor of longtime staff member Herb Ulery.
Ulery began his career in 1958 teaching printing at Elkhart Community Schools. He moved to the Elkhart Career Center in 1971 with the launch of the institution, continuing to teach printing until his retirement in 1992. He returned in 1993 as a technical assistant in the small engines program and worked in that capacity until 2014, and even continued to assist when needed over the subsequent ten years.
The renovations were funded by a generous $97,758 donation from Amish Shah, aimed at honoring Ulery’s contributions and investing in the future of EACC students. The project transformed a storage area into a larger instructional classroom, improving visibility and supervision across the shop spaces, as well as creating a dedicated welding and fabrication area to support student instruction and competition.
Additional upgrades included improved lighting, electrical systems, a ventilation system suitable for welding, and new doors and windows, along with a fresh coat of paint. Ulery’s philosophy to encourage students emphasized the importance of taking ownership of their education, encapsulated in his message: “You will only get out, what you put in.”
