Aiming to give the next generation of collision repair technicians a step forward with tools and mentorship, CIC Administrator Jeff Hendler and Toby Chess presented the March Taylor Memorial Fund scholarship in the form of a toolbox to instructor Samantha McCauley at the recent CIC in Indianapolis, Ind.
McCauley is the Collision Repair and Refinish Technology instructor for the Hammond Area Career Center in Indiana. She teaches 11th and 12th grade students topics such as metal straightening, plastic and fiberglass repair, body filler applications, welding, color matching, refinishing, wet sand and buffing and estimate writing. McCauley is one of only five female collision repair instructors in the country.
In thanking the memorial fund for the toolbox, McCauley shared, “One of the things that surprised me about this grant is that I’m not a student—I’m an instructor applying on behalf of a lot of students. This way not just one or two people might use these tools but possibly hundreds.”
Unbeknownst to McCauley, Chess announced that not only was McCauley receiving a toolbox for herself for teaching purposes, but her students would also be receiving a second toolbox, which was sponsored by Kent Automotive. Both toolboxes contained a sander, screw drivers, pliers, a socket set, and an impact driver.
McCauley stressed the need for shop owners and companies to get more involved in fostering the growth of young talent. She expressed, “I’ve seen high school programs for automotive repair slowly declining, not so much that the kids aren’t interested—it’s that the industry needs to support the students better. It’s really difficult to acquire all the necessary elements, like tools, people to speak to the kids, companies to allow the students to step in just even for a tour or a one-day job shadow to expose the kids to the opportunities that are out there for them. Strive to be involved as much as you possibly can.”
Chess encouraged those attending to get involved with their local communities and to submit an application to the memorial fund if they know someone deserving of a toolbox.
