Motorcycle designer holds workshops to inspire youth

COMPTON, Calif. -- A youth program in California is providing middle-school children in an underprivileged community with a potentially life-changing opportunity.

The Harley-Davidson workshop teaches children the concepts of building and designing motorcycles; skills they could one day turn into a lucrative career.

Harley-Davidson bikers revved their engines for students at Lifeline Education Middle School in Compton, California.

The youngsters were thrilled to meet Andrew Thompson, better known as Harley-Drew, a popular Harley-Davidson motorcycle designer.

"Live to ride, ride to live," Drew said.

Drew invited these students to his third annual Harley-Davidson Back-To-School Workshop.

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It's an event that exposes children from underprivileged urban areas to careers in the motorcycle industry.

"I thought it was really cool that they invited us to be there," student Valeria Vallejo said.

Another student, Adela Duarte, said she was "excited because like, right, when you step off the bus, you already see the layout and all the different motorcycles, the styles and designs there and how close everyone was, like helping out putting everything together."

Students toured the shop and learned about the bikes.

"They had amazing designs on them," Vallejo said.

They then get to design their own.

"So I hope to one day, if I were to help make a motorcycle then it definitely would be dedicated to my mom," student Sebastian Peña said.

For Harley-Drew, the mission to reach these children is personal.

He said his interest in designing Harleys as a teen in Compton kept him out of trouble and off the streets.

"I'm just all about motivating and inspiring everybody of all ages, you know, just to do what they love to do," Drew said.

His message to the students: If you learn a trade or special skill that aligns with your passion, you can turn it into a successful career.

"I feel like I'm more inspired to move toward my goals," student Destiny Perea said.