Honolulu CC to Host High School Automotive Competition

2014 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition

Honolulu Community College
Contact:
Billie K T Lueder, (808) 845-9187
Communications & External Affairs, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Apr 17, 2014

Automotive Technology program at Honolulu CC.
Automotive Technology program at Honolulu CC.

(Honolulu)  Hawai‘i’s best auto technology high school students will gather for the first time at Honolulu Community College.

2014 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition
Saturday, April 26
10:00 am at Honolulu Community College
In the Visitor Parking Lot Dillingham Blvd. and Alakawa St.

“We are excited to host this competition on our campus.  Students will gain valuable experience testing their current knowledge base and working together as a team.  These are our future students and eventually future technicians,” says Bert Shimabukuro, Professor of the Automotive Technology program at Honolulu CC. 

The statewide competition will be held in the main parking lot fronting Dillingham Boulevard and Alakawa Street.  The high students will repair deliberately “bugged” 2014 Fords to demonstrate skills required for succeeding as automotive technicians. Professionals make these repairs on the job. 

The industry remains one of the nation’s in-demand and well-paying careers.  The competition is sponsored by AAA as part of its efforts to attract more young adults to the profession. Six student teams are set to compete, according to competition chairman Avo Asdourian of AAA Hawai‘i.  Competitors and instructors are:

Alea High School      (Oahu)
Edmund Okada, instructor
Joshua Gima
Kazunori Shima

MAUI HIGH SCHOOL  (Maui)
Shannon Rowe, instructor 
Jahstyn Aweau
Cameo-Noel Kusunoki

MAUI HIGH SCHOOL  (Maui)
Dennis Sasai, instructor
Chayce Mimura 
Devin Vea         

KING KEKAULIKE HIGH SCHOOL (Maui)
Peter Kovacic, instructor
Jack Klingman
Jerami Rother

KING KEKAULIKE HIGH SCHOOL (Maui)
Matt Doty, instructor
Brian Amoral
Adam King             

Waimea High School (Kauai)
Bob Saligumba, instructor
Matt DeCosta
Anderson Kahale  

Local Matco Tools donated prizes for first, second and third place. AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities, the Hawai‘i NAPA distributor and Ford dealers also have prizes for competitors.  State winner will travel to the 2014 national championship June finals in Dearborn.  Millions of dollars in scholarships and prizes will be up for grabs for top finishers at the national championship.   

The Automotive Technology program at Honolulu CC is a comprehensive five-semester program master certified by the National Automotive Technology Education Foundation (NATEF) that prepares students for employment as automotive technicians.  The program has maintained its NATEF certification since 1993, undergoing a review every five years.  It is certified in all eight ASE areas: engine repair, automotive transmission and transaxle, manual drive train and axles, suspension and steering, brakes, electrical/electronics systems, heating and air conditioning, and engine performance.