The event is open to juniors and seniors in the automotive technology program at career centers or local high schools that offer the program, and there is a mix of both in the results.
“We had 23 students participate this year in both the body technician and automotive refinishing categories,” Neal said. “Our region has 36 schools in it, and we had a great field of talented students. Our students are also very lucky that this event is held here in the body shop at Voss rather than in a classroom situation.
“Here we have the space and the facilities of a working shop for them to use,” he said. “This is a huge commitment on the part of Voss, to close their operation on Friday to clear out all of the work bays and then their staff also volunteers on Saturday as judges. This is the only situation like this for SkillsUSA in this part of the country. We can’t thank them enough,” Neal added.
This is the sixth year of the event and the sixth year that the Voss Auto Network has made its state-of-the-art facility available.
Advancing in the body tech section is Stebbins High School senior James Pepper.
“This was my second year to compete, and I felt a lot more comfortable this year. I knew what to expect and I didn’t get rattled,” Pepper said. “The metal finishing was definitely the hardest; you have to make that piece of metal perfect without using any filler, so it’s tedious and but it’s a great exercise,” he said.
Pepper comes from a car family with a father who is into restoring cars. He helped his father restore a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass that he now also drives.
“It’s pretty much a show car; we only take it to shows,” he said.
Pepper’s instructor, Steve Gibson, had high marks for his student.
“He’s a fantastic student, very dedicated. It’s interesting - he excels in auto body but he’s also a great mechanic and I think he actually wants to be a mechanic. He’ll be heading to Lincoln Tech in Indianapolis for his degree right after graduation; he’ll do just fine,” Gibson added. Sadly for the other students in auto body at Stebbins, the program will end after this school year. If they want to continue their training, they’ll need to change schools.
Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center is sending two students to the state: Reed Craycraft in body tech and Jacob Nourse in auto refinishing. Instructor Dick Ater is looking forward to the event.
“Craycraft is very solid so I’m sure he’ll do fine, and Jacob Nourse - well, to be honest, he’s a special student,” Ater said. “He has a real good chance to win this, that’s his goal. He doesn’t wait for things to come to him, he goes out and gets it. He is already working daily at a local body shop here in Springfield, Maines Collision and Body Shop. As a high school senior, he’s already their number 2 painter,” Ater added. “He showed me a Porsche that he painted recently and it’s as good as any I’ve ever seen. One of my students won the state three years ago which was a great surprise, but frankly, if Nourse doesn’t win the state, I’ll be disappointed.”
Other students to advance from the local Skills USA event are Nathan Schmid from Laurel Oaks Career Center in body tech and John Fussnecker, Live Oak Career Center and Daniel Shyshlo from Pols Tech in refinishing. Alternates were Jake Mingus from Ohio High Point and Adam Metzener from Scarlet Oaks.
Michael Stemberski from Greene County Career Center won the Pat Kowalski Memorial Award, for students who exhibit a high level of integrity, dependability, initiative, positive attitude and service to others. Before his death, Kowalski was the manager of the Voss Collision Center and instrumental in getting the use of the facility for this competition and getting more professionals involved.
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