Grant Career Center Auto Collision Model Car Show Winners include Noah Marsh, Garrett Freeman, Zack Puckett, Mark Mockbee, Thomas Boldman, Devin Donell, Zach Wuebold, Corey Stith, Brian Adams, Sean Vesper, Travis Estep, Michael Verdin, Ibrahim Abdullah, and Gage Skillman.
As students in the Grant Career Center Auto Collision program learn new skills, they practice in their lab on full size cars, panels, and doors. Dent removal, filler applications, sanding, welding, and painting can be seen on a daily basis in the lab.

To showcase their newly perfected skills, the students dropped down in scale to model cars. Students list their favorite cars and the instructors search through mountains of models at the Ben Franklin store in Bethel.

Students open the models with great anticipation and begin the building process. Boxes of assorted parts morph into hot rods, trucks, and great cars of the past. Then the creative process truly becomes apparent. Paints are applied with great precision with tiny brushes and spray guns. Fancy finishes and saucy striping take over, and the plain plastic becomes a work of art.

The day finally arrives when the long tables are pulled out, and it is Car Show Day. Students proudly display their models and hope to impress the judges.

Staff members from the Career Center wander around the tables and examine the models from all angles. Expertise varies among the staff from true car aficionados to those who utter, “Which ones are the GM products?” In the end, the winners emerge from the pack and awards are distributed.

Instructors Mike Patten and Ric Kruse take great pride in hosting the Model Car Show each year.

According to Patten, “The students love the chance to showcase their hard work to staff, students and fellow car enthusiasts. They like to be recognized for their efforts and they love the feedback on the skills that they have perfected in the program.”

Winners of this year’s Model Car Show are as follows: Best of Show, Corey Stith; Best Junior Model, Gage Skillman; Best Senior Model, Corey Stith; Best Junior Paint, Garrett Freeman; Best Senior Paint, Brian Adams; Best Chrysler, Noah Marsh; Best Ford Corporate, (tie) Zach Wuebold, Travis Estep, and Ibrahim Abdullah; Best General Motor, Thomas Boldman; Best Truck/Van, Mark Mockbee; Best Subcompact, Michael Verdin; Best Engine, (tie) Sean Vesper and Gage Skillman; Best Interior, (tie) Devin Donell and Garrett Freeman; Best 1970 & Down Street Rod, Zack Puckett; Best 1971 & Up Street Machine, Travis Estep; Junior Best Effort, Noah Marsh; Senior Best Effort, Zach Wuebold.

If your sophomore son or daughter is interested in a career in the auto collision industry, investigate career options and college partnerships on our website at www.grantcareer.com or call the Career Center for more information at (513) 734-6222.