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WACTC Duo Win Ocean State Automotive Technology Competition

[CREDIT: WACTC} Pictured from left, Joel Cullen, David Tibbetts, Automotive Instructor, and Shelby Lavoie. Lavoie and Cullen won the Ocean State Automotive Technology Competition.
[CREDIT: WACTC] Pictured from left, Joel Cullen, David Tibbetts, Automotive Instructor, and Shelby Lavoie. Lavoie and Cullen won the Ocean State Automotive Technology Competition.
Warwick, R.I  —Warwick Area Career Technical Center (WACTC) students Joel Cullen and Shelby Lavoie have won this year’s Ocean State Automotive Technology Competition, scoring full one-year tuition scholarships to New England Tech, and a set of Snap-on tools.

Cullen and Lavoie, both Automotive Technology students at WACTC, competed against eight other secondary career and technical schools.  They’ll now represent Rhode Island at the National Automotive Technology Competition March 29 – 30 at the New York International Automobile Show.

The state-wide competition, hosted by New England Tech in cooperation with the Rhode Island Automobile Dealers Association, allows high school seniors to demonstrate their automotive technical skills. The contest consisted of a written test and eight stations featuring a hands-on challenge to be completed by two-person teams:

1. Scan tools

2.  Engine performance

3. Suspensions
4. Parts identification
5.  Electrical systems
6.  Diagnostics
7.  Information retrieval
8.  Brakes
“As a young woman, I’m proud of my accomplishments within the automotive competition.  Typically, the automotive technician competition has been  perceived as male dominated.  Not only have I competed with male peers but also I have excelled and won the  competition,” Lavoie said.
“It feels pretty good being best in the state.  I’m looking forward to the National Competition,” said Cullen.
Second place winners received $1,500 scholarships to New England Tech, and third place winners received $1,000 scholarships. All winners received a Snap-on tool set.
Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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