Students to compete in auto repair contest

The Automotive Systems Technology Department at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is known for providing students with the tools needed to enter the workforce. Two students in the program will be putting the skills they've acquired in the program to the test at today's state competition in Mooresville.

As part of the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute's Huskins Program, Richard Bolick, a senior at South Caldwell High School, and Lee Her, a senior at West Caldwell High School, are getting the opportunity to earn college credits while gaining automotive skills.

After spending several hours preparing, both in and out of the classroom, and passing a qualifying test, Bolick and Her are gearing up to compete in the 2008 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Contest.

“This is an annual competition that the school takes part in,” said Roy Jennings, Automotive Systems Technology instructor. “The class has prepared (Bolick and Her) to go into the job field, and they have also done extra work outside of class - staying late and brushing up on their skills - to prepare for the competition.”

Bolick and Her will represent CCC&TI and compete against nine other two-member teams from all over the North Carolina today and Friday, during the state finals Pit Instruction and Training in Mooresville, sponsored by AAA Carolinas.

“I'm looking forward to doing a good job in this competition and moving on to the next level,” Bolick said. “If we win, we'll go to nationals.”

At the competition, students will have the opportunity to win scholarships ranging from $1,000 to full-tuition scholarships to various automotive repair-training institutions throughout the country. The school placing first in the competition will receive a cash prize from the North Carolina Automobile Association.

“Generally, the competition gives teams a number of (automotive) problems to diagnose,” Jennings said. “These problems can range from a vehicle with no power to one that won't start. The winner is the team that identifies and diagnoses the problems the quickest.”

The 90-minute competition will challenge Bolick and Her to detect problems or intentional “bugs” and make necessary repairs, while being timed. The team that drives their repaired car to the finish line first will win the competition.

The winning team will receive an all-expense paid trip to the national competition that will take place June 24 in Dearborn, Mich. The national competition will provide students the chance to compete for additional scholarships and prizes.

Accompanying Bolick and Her to the competition will be another one of their instructors, Hefni Badr, who also has helped the students prepare throughout the school year.

David Fifer originally was scheduled to be teamed with Bolick but was unable to attend and has been replaced by the Her, whose scores on the qualifying tests made him next in line to participate in the competition.

Bolick said he and Her have worked hard to get ready for the event and are looking forward to showing their automotive knowledge and making their school proud.

“I feel very confident,” Bolick said. “I have great instructors, and we plan to utilize all of the information we've learned in our classes.”