Stoler shows lighting system to university

A Greencastle teen is illuminating for business in the real world.

The electrical contractor who installed the new lighting system in the Greencastle-Antrim High School Auditorium in 2010 was so impressed with a student's expertise, he called upon him again. Corey Eslinger from Eslinger Lighting, Inc., Enola, brought Austin Stoler along when he pitched a job to Millersville University during the summer.

Stoler, 19, and a 2012 graduate of G-AHS, was an auditorium technician when the district upgraded its lighting, thanks to a gift from The Shockey Foundation. Stoler not only immediately understood what improvements were sought, he also pushed for more capabilities.

"I helped to write the software for ours," he said. "I was on the phone with Eslinger's lead tech support, telling them what I wanted it to do. They sent a chip for our control board that's tailored to Greencastle. It does stuff they never imagined it would."

And so, for a demonstration of the equipment at an institution of higher learning, Stoler was the natural choice. He explained that Greencastle's Leprecon control console was a middle-of-the road model that could serve Millersville's needs and he was the only person in the area who knew how to operate it. He put on a light show and answered questions, then passed a spontaneous test.

"Millersville had me run their lights on a system I'd never seen before. It's neat to see the difference between high school and college lights."

The university personnel liked the brand and its functions, he said. "They were sold on it."

Stoler is now the school district auditorium manager, and is training other students on the intricacies of the system. He still finds great satisfaction in running the lights.

"I just like production, the thrill of setting stuff up. It's not just theory but seeing everything come together," he said. "Then once I get done, I get to do it all over again."

He proclaims the auditorium lights are the most energy efficient and modern in the area. If he turned on the LED lights and came back in 11 years, he knew they'd still be shining.

Stoler is studying network administration at Hagerstown Community College. He gained some practical knowledge in that area through his summer job with the G-ASD IT department.