Vocational education teacher Michael Bammer of Lapeer, Michigan, was determined to help his students succeed, even after they graduated from high school. Photo credit: Muir Brothers Lapeer.

Many educators are beloved for going the extra mile to help their students. One of these was Michael Bammer, a vocational education teacher from Lapeer, Michigan. He was so determined to help his students succeed, he even bought them a house to live in while they were pursuing their education after graduating from high school.

Michael was born on November 26, 1961, in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was a long-time resident of Lapeer, Michigan, where he lived with his wife and three children. As a young man, he worked in a variety of jobs related to the automotive industry, including working in an auto service center, a full-service gas station, and an auto repair facility. He even owned his own automative repair business for a while.

It was Michael’s ability to explain mechanics to his customers led him to pursue a career as a vocational education teacher. He began as a para-professional in Automotive Technology at Lake Orion High School. There he discovered a passion for the teaching profession. After he moved on to a position as a para-professional in Agricultural Mechanics at Lapeer County Vocational and Technical Center (Ed-Tech) in Attica, he decided to pursue a formal education. He completed first his Associate’s degree and then his Bachelor’s degree, while simultaneously teaching adult education classes in Automotive Technology. Ultimately, he added a Master’s degree to his accomplishments. In 1998, Michael became a full-time teacher of Agricultural Mechanics. The program later became Diesel Technology.

Mike’s widow, Grace Bammer, remembered that her husband would go to great lengths to help his students succeed, even after they graduated fro high school. “A lot of the kids went on to a tech college in Lima, Ohio, and Mike would help them get scholarships,” she recalled. “Housing, though, was still more expensive than many of them could afford. So we bought a house down there for these kids from Lapeer to live in while they attended school,” she continued. “Mike wanted these kids to succeed and showed them that hard work really is the answer,” she concluded.

Sadly, Michael Bammer passed away on March 10, 2021, from complications associated with Covid-19. He was 59 years old. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this obituary printed by The County Press in Lapeer, Michigan.