Orange-Ulster BOCES students place first in regional automotive competition
Pair earn right to practice on a 2012 S-60 Volvo GOSHEN Orange-Ulster BOCES automotive technology students Tyler Filipowski, a senior at Warwick Valley High School, and Preston Kissinger, a senior at Valley Central High School, recently placed first in the 2012 Greater New York Automotive Dealers Association Regional Automotive Competition. The competition is for high school seniors and took place on Jan. 11 in Whitestone. Tyler and Preston took top honors out of 15 teams competing in the day-long contest. They have now earned the right to move on and compete at the association’s state competition to be held Feb. 14. During the competition, workstations were set up using eight areas of automotive service excellence. Students were tested on their current knowledge of such topics as basic electricity, tools and equipment identification, technical service information, cylinder head components, brake systems and tire service to name a few. At the awards ceremony, through a blind selection of manufacturers, Tyler and Preston chose Volvo to be the company sponsoring them for the next level of competition. On Jan. 20, Volvo Cars of North America provided a 2012 S-60 Volvo and diagnostic equipment to use to prepare for the New York State finals in February. Service Training and Development Division representatives Bill Ryan, the manager/technician recruitment and retention, and Orlando J. Fernandes, service training instructor, delivered the vehicle to Orange-Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Education Center for Tyler and Preston to practice on for the next several weeks. “Tyler and Preston are enthusiastic and excited to move to the next level of competition where they will test their skills against high school automotive students from across New York State,” Matthew Dykes, the young men’s Auto Technology instructor and team leader of the Transportation Careers Academy said in the press release announcing the competition. “The opportunities are tremendous, not only for the Tyler and Preston, but for CTEC as well. The school whose students win the GNYADA State Competition will receive a new Infiniti automobile as part of the prizes.”