Karen Schellin

Karen Schellin, motorcycle instructor

Gateway Technical College offers two basic motorcycle courses which are supported in part by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The curriculum is established by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

Students in the beginning course train on equipment provided by the college. The courses are conducted between April and October. For more information, go to www.gtc.edu and click on the motorcycle safety link.

Karen Schellin:

motorcycle trainer

Where do you work? Though I have a full-time job with Johnson Financial Group, I also work part time for Gateway Technical College.

What is your job title and what do you do? With GTC, I’m a part-time, adjunct instructor where I teach motorcycle safety. Following the curriculum of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, I teach how to safely ride motorcycles and scooters.

How did you end up here? I actually learned to ride under the GTC program about 25 years ago. After taking an advanced riding class through GTC, the instructor mentioned that they were looking for more instructors. Some years after that, I reached out to the program’s lead instructor about teaching, and he hired me right away. So, here I am.

When did you decide you wanted to ride a motorcycle and later teach a course?: I had been a passenger. I wanted to try it for myself. I rode for five to seven years before I took an advanced course.

How long have you been with the GTC motorcycle safety training program? This is the start of my 16th year with Gateway and the motorcycle safety program. Longevity wise, I am the most senior person with our program.

What do students learn in this course? People who take this course want to learn good riding skills. They learn safety strategy. They learn how to be aware of their surroundings and road conditions. They also learn about safety gear and the importance of wearing certain clothes to prevent from sunburn and dehydration.

Who takes this course? People of all ages take the course. Some want to learn how to ride a motorcycle; others want to learn how to ride a scooter. Some people take the course because they’re thinking of buying a motorcycle or scooter. For some it’s on their bucket list. Some say, “I wanted to try it.”

What do you enjoy most about your responsibilities? I do this because I really do like it, and it’s fun. It’s great being able to take someone with little to no riding experience and watch them progress through the various exercises, learning new skills and have them gain confidence as the day progresses. I also like when there is a rider who does have experience say how much they’ve learned, which helps them become a better, and hopefully safer, rider.

What work experiences brought you to this position? Prior to GTC I had no teaching experience. My background is in management. However, the training we instructors receive through the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety program teaches us how to work with students in both the classroom and on the range, where the riding is done, following the MSF curriculum.

On the Job is a weekly feature of the Kenosha News, profiling workers in our community. We’re interested in all manner of jobs and employment. To participate, email James Lawson at jlawson@kenoshanews.com.