SKILLS WILL GO ON TO COMPETE IN NATIONAL COMPETITION. AUTO COLLISION REPAIR TECHNOLOGY IS THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM HERE AT SOUTHERN HIGH SCHOOL THAT TRAINED STUDENTS TO WORK ON YOUR CAR. YOU NEED BODYWORK. YOU NEED PAINT DONE. THAT’S WHAT THEY DO. AND IN FACT, THEY’RE SO GOOD AT IT THAT THEY’RE SENDING TWO STUDENTS TO NATIONALS BECAUSE THEY’RE ABLE TO TAKE A PIECE OF METAL THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THAT. I WON STATE WITH THIS. MEGAN LESLIE’S TALENT IS PAINT REFINISHING. WHEN EVER YOU PAINT AND YOU BLEND, YOU DON’T WANT THAT EDGE THERE. SO I’M GOING TO TAKE MY DA AND I’M GOING TO WITH 400. AND I’M GOING TO GO OVER THIS. WHEN SHE DOES IT RIGHT. YOU’D NEVER KNOW. THIS SHEET OF METAL EVEN HAD A PAINT JOB. SILVER PAINT IS THE HARDEST TO BLEND AND I BLENDED THAT PRETTY NICELY. SO I’M PRETTY NEW TO ALL THIS. UM, BUT I’M HAVING A LOT OF FUN WITH IT. SHE’LL JOIN FELLOW STATE CHAMPION BRIAN GODOY AT NATIONALS, HIS SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM ON THE JOB AND AT STATE EARNED HIM A TOOLBOX FULL OF EVERYTHING HE NEEDS FOR HIS AUTO REPAIR CAREER. OPEN UP THOSE EVERY, EACH AND EVERY DRAWER JUST REMINDED ME OF ALL THE TOOLS, ALL THE GUYS AT THE SHOP HAVE. LIKE, WOW, I GOT MY OWN. IT’S CRAZY. HIS SKILL REPAIRING FENDER DAMAGE USING NITROGEN WELDER WHICH BLOWS HOT AIR, AND I GOT A LITTLE PLASTIC STRIP AND I WAS ABLE TO WELD IT IN THAT LITTLE GAP. TIM BLYTHE IS THEIR COACH AND TEACHER. IT’S ALREADY A WIN FOR HIM TO HAVE THESE STUDENTS READY TO EARN AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE CERTIFICATES. BY THE TIME I GET TO THIS PART OF THE YEAR, IF I DO MY JOB RIGHT, I DON’T HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS LIKE I ONLY HAVE FOUR SENIORS LEFT THAT HAVEN’T. I PUT 12 OUT ON CO-OP THIS YEAR IN DIFFERENT BODY SHOPS, BUT WINNING AT NATIONALS WILL MEAN SO MUCH MORE. BOTH THOSE KIDS WIN NATIONALS. I DON’T THINK I COULD BE CONTAINED. THEY’RE LEAVING FOR THE NATIONAL COMPETITIONS IN ATLANTA ON JUNE 24TH, AND THEY’LL RETUR
Southern High School students prepare for national auto repair competition
Program prepares students for career in automotive repair industry
At Southern High School, a program called “auto collision repair technology” trains students to work on cars, specializing in body work and paint jobs. The students are so proficient that they’re sending two state champions to the national competition.One of these is Megan Lasley, a junior whose talent lies in paint refinishing.“I won state with this,” she said. “Silver paint is the hardest to blend, and I blended that pretty nicely. I’m pretty new to all of this, but I’m having a lot of fun with it.”Fellow state champ, senior Bryan Godoy, was one of many students honored by the school. His success in the classroom, on the job, and at state has earned him a toolbox full of everything he needs for his auto repair career (so he won’t have to borrow tools or go into debt).“Open up each and every drawer, reminding me of all the tools all the guys at the shop have. I’m like, ‘Wow, I got my own!’ It’s crazy,” Godoy said.Their coach and teacher, Tim Blythe, is proud to have these students ready to earn Automotive Service Excellence certification.“By the time I get to this part of the year, if I do my job right, I don’t have a lot of students,” he said. “I’ve put 12 out on co-op this year in different body shops.”The students will be leaving for the SkillsUSA national competitions in Atlanta on June 24-29.
At Southern High School, a program called “auto collision repair technology” trains students to work on cars, specializing in body work and paint jobs. The students are so proficient that they’re sending two state champions to the national competition.
One of these is Megan Lasley, a junior whose talent lies in paint refinishing.
“I won state with this,” she said. “Silver paint is the hardest to blend, and I blended that pretty nicely. I’m pretty new to all of this, but I’m having a lot of fun with it.”
Fellow state champ, senior Bryan Godoy, was one of many students honored by the school. His success in the classroom, on the job, and at state has earned him a toolbox full of everything he needs for his auto repair career (so he won’t have to borrow tools or go into debt).
“Open up each and every drawer, reminding me of all the tools all the guys at the shop have. I’m like, ‘Wow, I got my own!’ It’s crazy,” Godoy said.
Their coach and teacher, Tim Blythe, is proud to have these students ready to earn Automotive Service Excellence certification.
“By the time I get to this part of the year, if I do my job right, I don’t have a lot of students,” he said. “I’ve put 12 out on co-op this year in different body shops.”
The students will be leaving for the SkillsUSA national competitions in Atlanta on June 24-29.
Source: Southern High School students prepare for national auto repair competition
