Automotive technology college students Ethan Walker and Christopher Colasurdo, both equally of Milford, entered the Higher Lehigh Valley Auto Sellers Association’s (GLVADA) annual Auto-Tech Levels of competition for large schoolers as the only juniors they drove away as champions.
The keys to their accomplishment: a highly focused curriculum, a well-informed instructor and a classroom place resembling a serious-globe shop – all courtesy of Hunterdon County Polytech Occupation & Technological Higher Faculty. They also benefited from a neighborhood seller, Fred Beans, who lent a motor vehicle for them to observe on and their innate drive that pushed them to put in the excess time making ready.
Held on Feb. 12 at Northampton Neighborhood School, the GLVADA Car-Tech Level of competition introduced four teams together from space vocational-complex colleges to compete towards a person yet another in a series of technical difficulties.
“Our learners have been the only juniors competing versus seniors, and we were the only New Jersey school,” mentioned automotive technological know-how teacher Chris Scheuerman.
“Even as the only juniors, we had been actually self-assured simply because we commenced the competition with brake measurement, and we do that all the time in class,” extra Walker. “Doing that 1st took all the nerves absent. It was kind of cool. We have been definitely prepared.”
The yearly competitiveness experienced groups operating jointly at 4 various stations to discover bugs and technical deficiencies in their certain car. Spots to be examined by the pupil teams incorporated motor measurement, brake measurement, essential electrical, waveform interpretation, electrical wiring mend, engine functionality, information retrieval and extra.
Fred Beans Toyota of Flemington lent Polytech’s automotive technological innovation application a Toyota Corolla for Walker and Colasurdo to use in the competitors and to follow on main up to the function.
GLVADA’s car-tech opposition was break up into two pieces. To start with, the learners have been specified 15 minutes at every single station to determine out electrical process errors. Next, they had the on-car process with a specified hour and a 50 percent to entire it.
Learners just (or not so basically) experienced to uncover every single challenge in their car and take care of it.
Walker stated some deficiencies involved an engine that wouldn’t commence, lights out, a broken horn and a tough idle with abnormal tire pressure levels.
“Mr. Scheuerman more than-prepared us so something we observed, we understood just what it was,” reported Colasurdo. “Even if they gave us some thing we weren’t guaranteed about, Mr. Scheuerman taught us how to think about a challenge and get by way of it on our own. Additional preparing following faculty was really practical because he wouldn’t just teach it – he would train it and then carry us into the shop and clearly show us.”
In addition to Scheuerman’s educating design and style and curriculum, the two juniors credit score their extraordinary teamwork for earning them a earn.
“We had a whole worksheet and we break up up the perform,” explained Walker. “When you work on it alongside one another, you do not often have to have two men and women working on the similar matter it just wastes time. Our method labored truly very well for us for the reason that we completed it in 50 minutes although every person else was operating up until eventually the time was out.”
With 1 calendar year remaining at Polytech, the two Walker and Colasurdo are buckled up and completely ready for the future.
“After graduation, I’m thinking about pursuing Toyota college,” reported Colasurdo. “Eventually, I’d like to get the job done on hybrid and electrical autos for the reason that I imagine which is heading to blow up in the up coming few of several years.”
“I’d like to go to a tech university and go into diesel,” stated Walker. “My uncle will work in oil, fuel and energy era and travels almost everywhere to correct issues. So, I’d like to do a thing like that. He’s been a massive component of that purpose simply because I know I’ll have him to mentor me.”
As winners of the GLVADA level of competition, Walker and Colasurdo have been awarded a initially-spot trophy, two ratcheting wrench sets and recognition on a Route 22 billboard in Pennsylvania. They also have been granted full scholarships to the Common Complex Institute with campuses in Exton and Bloomfield, N.J.
