Hunterdon County Polytech Automotive Student Wins Silver

FLEMINGTON, N.J. – Grant Kingston has won a silver medal for Hunterdon County Polytech Career & Technical High School in a competition held March 5 as part of the NJ State SkillsUSA Championships. Subsequent state-level SkillsUSA competitions have since been cancelled due to COVID-19, including the awards ceremony that traditionally follows the final day of competition.

Kingston, a junior in Polytech’s Automotive Technology I Program, earned silver in the Automotive Maintenance SkillsUSA competition, which required him to change and balance tires, identify brake parts, measure rotors and perform a 30-point inspection. Although this was his first year involved in SkillsUSA, he felt prepared headed into competition.

“These are all things I’ve done in class, so I felt confident,” Kingston said. “In the shop, I always jump into projects and give 100 percent of myself to get things done the right way. I also like to help my classmates and manage multiple projects at once.”

Kingston also credited Polytech instructor Chris Scheuerman for helping prepare him in class, which is held in a service shop on Polytech’s Central Campus. Students receive specialized training in the shop and work toward Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) student certification, among others, as well as post-secondary studies in the automotive field, direct employment or enrollment in an Automotive Apprenticeship Program.

Students who placed in the early state-level SkillsUSA Championships will not head to nationals this year, as the 2020 National Leadership and Skills Conference has also been cancelled as a result of COVID-19. SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis wrote in a letter to SkillsUSA chapters throughout the country that SkillsUSA will hold virtual state officer training, delegate sessions and national elections, along with various recognitions, virtually. “This setback is temporary, but the legacy, spirit and strength of this organization endures in each one of you,” she wrote.

SkillsUSA State Director Peter Carey wrote to New Jersey’s chapters that he has been involved in “new and exciting plans for possible summer and/or fall activities that can recapture the spirit and energy of New Jersey SkillsUSA after this national crisis subsides.”

Forty Hunterdon County Vocational School District students from both Polytech Career & Technical High School and the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy had planned to compete in this year’s NJ State SkillsUSA Championships. Through their participation in SkillsUSA, students hone their career and technical skills through their preparation for competition. Individuals from industry directly evaluate student performance. The overall experience rewards students for their hard work and dedication to their field of interest and ensures that their training remains relevant to employers’ needs.

“We celebrate Grant’s silver medal and the commitment of all of our students to prepare, often outside of class, for Skills,” said HCVSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Bonsall. “Although the majority of our students were unable to compete this year, they gained valuable experience in their areas of study, and they also developed important social and emotional skills – like resiliency – which will serve them well.”

Hunterdon County Polytech Career & Technical High School is the largest component of Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD). Polytech is the district’s shared-time high school that prepares students for a seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult and Continuing Education school and three science-based high school academies: the Biomedical Sciences Academy, the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy and the Environmental Sustainability and Engineering Academy. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.

All pupils will be given equal opportunity for enrollment in programs operated by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B, Section IV-A). No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives federal financial assistance, et seq (34 C.F.R. Part 104.4(a)(b).