EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Walter Melancon III, Class Of 2017

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — A trio of staff members who remain at Evergreen Park Community High School today are people who Walter Melancon III credits for helping him get on the right track.

“Dean (now Assistant Principal) (Rob) McCarthy and the School Resource Officer (Luciano) Valdez really set me off to change into a different man,” said Melancon III, a 2017 graduate of EPCHS. “Thanks to them I became a totally different man and more mature. It’s because of them that I was able to go to college. They 100 percent turned things around for me.”

Melancon III found sports and extracurricular activities as enjoyable endeavors. He played football as a defensive end for three years and was involved in both the culinary and science clubs at EPCHS.

“Coach (Jerry) Verde really helped me raise my football IQ,” Melancon III said. “He helped me realize the importance of brotherhood. That’s the lesson I took away most from high school football.”

A star on the field for the Mustangs, Melancon III enrolled at NCAA Division II Lane College in Tennessee. He redshirted his freshman year and played during his sophomore year.

“I only played one year of college football because I wanted to get my Associate’s Degree and start my business,” he said.

That business is Pristine Armor Detailing, a mobile car detailing business based right here in Evergreen Park.

Having gotten Pristine off and running late in 2019, Melancon III had an unforeseen obstacle come along the way just a few months into it: the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At first it was a struggle, but I just believed in myself, did a lot of research and eventually found that cleaning cars and sanitizing them was going to be a necessity during COVID,” Melancon III said. “Truthfully, the peak of my business occurred during COVID.”

Melancon III does much of his business at his home in Evergreen Park, but will travel for an additional fee. Although there’s no distance fee included for clients in Evergreen Park, he said.

“I try to make it possible for my clients,” he said. “It’s kinda hard for me to ever turn down business, plus I like seeing people’s reactions to seeing their vehicles detailed.”

Melancon III says Pristine is among the least expensive car detailing options in the Chicagoland area, and they offer free maintenance checks for up to two months after service.

He hopes to expand the business soon, with a possible brick-and-mortar location in the works in the near future. He’s also looking forward to partnering with and helping his high school alma mater.

EPCHS has hired Pristine for much of its sanitation services, in which Melancon III’s company will detail the school buses and driver’s education cars and sanitize the bleachers.

“I’d also like to throw a few events to raise money for the kids,” Melancon III said. “Something fun that has an entry fee, with all funds going to the school so students can have a better experience.”

“It’s important to me to be part of the Mustang family,” he added. “I feel like I can have a huge impact on young men and women, and show them the importance of this time in their lives as they prepare for college or whatever they plan to do after high school.”