Heavy Equipment Technology (HET) student and Brandywine Heights senior Caleb Rohrbach is turning a lifelong passion for tractors and repair work into a promising career, blending hands-on farm experience with technical training at school and in the field.
For Caleb, HET isn’t just a class, it’s a natural extension of how he grew up. Caleb has spent years learning the ins and outs of machinery long before stepping into a formal classroom. “I’ve always worked on stuff with my dad,” Caleb explained. “We have a small farm, and I’ve been driving tractors and helping fix them for as long as I can remember.”
While he describes his family’s farm as “small,” it spans about 20 acres—no small responsibility. The farm operates as a side business, producing hay that is sold locally, often to horse owners in the area. Alongside the daily work of maintaining the land, Caleb has become comfortable not only operating machinery but troubleshooting and repairing it as needed.
That early experience led him directly to BCTC’s Heavy Equipment Technology program. Though some students may consider Diesel Technology as a similar pathway, Caleb says Heavy Equipment Technology felt like the right fit from the beginning. “This is like diesel plus,” he said. “It just made sense with what I was already doing.”
Caleb has taken that foundation and built on it with more advanced, structured training. He credits the program with expanding his understanding beyond what he learned at home. “I had some knowledge before, but this really helped me get more in-depth,” he said. “It taught me better ways to do things—or just different ways.”
That combination of homegrown experience and technical education has opened the door to a valuable real-world opportunity. Caleb currently participates in a co-op program at Deer Country, a John Deere dealership he has been familiar with since childhood. “I’ve been going there since I was a kid to get parts,” he said. “We always fixed our own equipment, but that’s where we’d go.”
Now, instead of standing at the counter, Caleb is working behind the scenes. He spends four days a week at the shop from noon to 5 p.m., gaining hands-on experience alongside professional technicians. At this stage, his role focuses on observation, learning, and assisting. “I shadow the other workers, take in what they’re doing, and help out where I can,” he said. Technicians occasionally ask for his input when diagnosing equipment issues—an opportunity he approaches with both confidence and humility. “Sometimes I’m a little intimidated,” he admitted. “But I think I’ve been pretty close when I answer.”
The Deer Country shop is a fast-paced, high-demand environment, something that left a strong impression on Caleb. “It’s busy—really busy,” he said. “And there are a lot of people working there.”
Looking ahead, Caleb’s goals are clear—and local. “I’d like to work here full-time,” he said, referring to Deer Country. “They already know that.” With his familiarity of the company, proven interest, and growing skill set, Caleb is positioning himself as a strong candidate for a future career right where he’s gaining experience now.
Outside of school and work, Caleb keeps busy with responsibilities on the farm, which continue to be a major part of his life. While the workload varies by season, the farm remains a steady source of both responsibility and learning.
When asked what advice he would give to younger students exploring their own career paths, Caleb kept it simple but meaningful: “If you have an interest in something, pursue it,” he said. “Learn more about it—get as much knowledge as you can.”
It’s advice he has clearly followed himself. From riding tractors on his family’s farm to diagnosing machinery issues in a professional shop, Caleb Rohrbach is already laying the groundwork for a skilled and successful future—one machine at a time.