In front of the door that leads to SLCC’s Automotive Collision, Repair and Refinishing ACRR shop, highly coveted awards are on display.
Stepping inside, students are greeted with warm, friendly smiles from Associate Professors Hondo Espil and Kirk Miller, who come eager to share their knowledge and help students develop their skills in the industry to an award-winning level.
Hondo's approach teaches students the why behind the skill rather than the how. "You can always show them the how, but helping them discover the why is where their passion for the trade comes from," says Hondo, talking about his classroom management style. Students in the ACRR program are not only taught every skill that will be needed when working at the shops but they are also motivated to continue pursuing their passion. "We teach our students a craft that can earn students a high earning; we are talking about six figures," says Kirk, who graduated from SLCC's program in 1996.
Hondo and Kirk encourage their students to participate in SkillsUSA to enhance their skills further. SkillsUSA is a competition where students from multiple trades compete in local, regional and national competitions against other two and four-year institutions within their field of trade. To prepare for the competitions, Hondo and Kirk teach students to work under pressure and help them develop leadership and communication skills, leadership, communication and working under pressure while competing. The hands-on approach of the ACRR program also helps prepare students for the competitions and the workplace. Students get their feet wet working in the shop from day one in the program.
Those interested in learning more about Automotive Collision, Repair, and Refinishing are encouraged to visit the website and reach out to the staff, who are happy and willing to answer any questions.
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