A new class was opened at Bellevue West focusing on repairing phones beginning in the second semester of the 2024-2025 school year. This nine-week course was open to 10 students in a first-come-first-serve form of application.

Instructor Alan Ramsey, also teaches at Metro Community College. However, he thinks that offering this class to high school students as well will give them important skills, especially if they plan to work in technology as a career.

“We use this as a sort of building block, you can go back into software if you want, but you get a different view of technology with this class,” Ramsey said.

A typical class consists of hands-on work with phones, taking them apart and putting them back together. Through this, students learn how to fix a phone and build their troubleshooting skills.

“Seeing people take initiative once they have a bit of groundwork or a little bit of that baseline knowledge is really cool.” Ramsey said.

The class also offers students a chance to become certified in two CTIA programs for technology that specialize in diagnosing and fixing a phone. CTIA is a wireless industry trade association that is funded by tech companies such as Apple and Samsung.

Senior Ariana McCorkle spends her class time taking apart and fixing iPhones. The class provides special tools to help them fix these phones, and the interactive work is her favorite part of the class.

“I see it setting up for my success outside Bellevue West by having a certification where I don’t need to go somewhere else and take it,” McCorkle said. “I can just get a head start to it, and I can just take it without having to worry about it as well.”

Even for students not wanting to explore a career in technology, Ramsey said he feels the class still has many benefits.

“I think this class, whether or not you’re looking to actually get a job fixing phones, is a cool skill to just have on your own,” Ramsey said, “But also I think it’s just an interesting thing to kind of branch into if you’re interested in technology.”