Two Ulster BOCES Auto Collision students from the Wallkill Central School District—one current and one a recent graduate—secured big wins at America’s most popular auto convention, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. George Thomas, a young professional who is a senior at the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center this year, earned first place in the welding category of the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) Art Meets Automotive “What Inspires You?” contest. Class of 2021 graduate Vinny Spampinato, Jr., also secured a top-five placement in the mini-hood category. The entries were submitted in the 2021-2022 school year when Thomas was a junior and Spampinato was a senior. This first-ever contest was open to career and technical education students from across the nation.

Thomas’s big win was announced in November at the 2022 SEMA show. Along with the first place title, Thomas will also receive tools valued at $500. His entry in the contest was a sculpture of the character Flat Stanley, who is a paper doll from a famous children's book written by Jeff Brown. The statue had to meet the precise requirements of fitting inside a 20” X 20” X 20” box, and had to be based on a computer or hand-drawn design.

Spampinato’s artwork, which featured the Ulster BOCES Auto Collision program’s logo, was an illustration of Rat Fink, a famous character created by artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, an American artist, cartoonist, illustrator, pinstriper, and custom car designer and builder. Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot rod movement of the late 1950s and 1960s.

Auto Collision teacher Chris Brown is delighted with the strong showing of his students at the prestigious competition. “This show is on the bucket list of many who work in this field–anybody and everybody is there,” he said. “And for two of my students to be chosen as top five finalists is monumental. I am super proud of these two for being a part of the contest and for their dedication to being the best they can be when they are just on the cusp of entering their chosen career path.”      

“The talents of our students and graduates continue to amaze me,” said Wallkill High School Principal B.J. Masopust. “We are fortunate to have such a great partnership with Ulster BOCES and the Career & Technical program, where students like George and Vincent can show off their creativity and skillset in real-world settings and competitions. These experiences will serve them well as they venture into higher education and future careers.”          

The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees, and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For more information about the Education Foundation, go to: http://www.collisioneducationfoundation.org/.