(WACO, Texas) – Ten students from Texas State Technical College’s Automotive and Auto Collision and Management programs spent part of their day on Monday, April 20, at Bird Kultgen Ford in Waco shadowing experienced technicians.
Ashley Murray, a service manager at the dealership, said it was the first time TSTC students had a learning experience of this magnitude. The dealership has hired TSTC alumni in the past and has hosted groups from the programs for tours.
Murray said it excited him to see the eagerness of the students.
“It’s hard finding people who truly want to do this and enjoy it,” he said.
Misael Camarena, of Hillsboro, has completed the Auto Collision and Management program’s repair specialization and is in his second-semester working on the refinishing specialization. He was curious to see the full process of a body shop, including arranging vehicles.
Camarena spent part of his morning in primer-preparation mode.
“Out in the field, you get your experiences and learn to be quick,” he said. “You learn the technical terms and get ready for the real world.”
Tryston Zohfeld, of Weatherford, in his first semester of the Automotive program. He grew up racing dirt bikes and said his grandparents and father spent time as mechanics.
Zohfeld received his first up-close experience with a technician working on a custom truck. He said he wanted to learn how the dealership staff decide who works on which kinds of vehicles.
John Staley, a dealership collision technician, had the opportunity to work with his son, Cash Kultgen, a second-semester Auto Collision and Management student. The Woodway residents worked together replacing a bumper on a Ford F150 truck.
“It’s really interesting,” Staley said. “We have been looking to get him (Cash) over to work with me as a helper for a while.”
Staley said he wanted his son to experience firsthand what a day in the life of a body shop technician is like.
Kultgen said he enjoyed being at the dealership, building on his interest in collision repair work growing up.
It marked a reunion for David Morgan, an Auto Collision and Management instructor, because he worked at the dealership for 12 years.
“This is like a home away from home,” he said. “I worked here longer than anywhere I have worked.”
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.