In this episode, we are joined by Josh Marmolejo, a mechanical engineer turned award-winning educator from Clint High School in Texas. Josh has transformed hands-on learning in his community and was recently honored with the 2024–25 Milken Educator Award, placing him among the nation’s most influential K-12 teachers .

He takes us through his inspiring journey from tinkering with go-karts to shaping the future of career and technical education (CTE), and talks about:

⬛ How a childhood love of problem-solving and engineering evolved into a teaching career he never planned for—but fully embraced

⬛ The emotional side of teaching, from burnout to building deep bonds with students and parents

⬛ Why classroom culture and rapport matter more than rigid routines in unlocking student success

⬛ How digital portfolios and social media have become powerful tools for student growth, confidence, and employability

⬛ The role of AI in education—from schematics and lesson planning to teaching students how to use it responsibly and ethically

⬛ Inspiring real-world success stories of students who went from not knowing what a wrench was to working in advanced automotive and heavy equipment careers

⬛ His vision for the next 10–20 years of education, where building real things, creativity, and technology blend to prepare students for the future

Josh’s journey is proof that real-world skills and human connection can reshape education. From turning shop projects into digital portfolios that land students jobs, to weaving AI into hands-on automotive training, he shows how innovation in the classroom can ripple out to families, communities, and industries.

—

About Dr. Manish Arora

Dr. Arora is the co-founder of LearnDesk and Insaito, where he leads marketing and sales. He has helped grow LearnDesk into a global platform supporting over 25,000 businesses. Currently, he is developing Automatan, an AI platform for automating business workflows. With 80+ patents and years of industry experience, Dr. Arora brings deep technical expertise and practical insights to every conversation.

—

The Inference Show

Stay connected with us and explore more about our guests, topics, and future episodes:

🔗 Automatan: https://www.linkedin.com/company/automatan-ai

🔗 Insaito: https://in.linkedin.com/company/insaito-inc

🔗 Dr. Manish Arora: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manish7901

🔗 Vivek Puri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivpuri

🔗 Josh Marmolejo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-marmolejo-1a3861258/

🔗 LearnDesk: https://www.learndesk.us/

🔗 Insaito: https://www.insaito.com/

—

Be our next guest by emailing us at [email protected]

We’d love to hear your insights and have you join the conversation!