Five outstanding collision repair students enjoyed an immersive week at the SEMA Show as part of the Techs for Tomorrow SEMA Experience from BASF Coatings and TechForce Foundation.
The five winners are Alexis Beckler from Hawkeye Community College, Rafael Luna from Collin College, Isabella Roll from North Dakota State College of Science, Gavin Shoun from Lincoln Tech, and William Tindall from McPherson College. BASF and TechForce held a luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to honor the students and kick off their SEMA week.
“We put a lot of heart and passion into making this possible for each of our students,” said Tina Nelles, marketing services manager at BASF. “It’s more than just a program to us; it’s a vision and investing in the next generation of our leadership for the collision repair industry.”
Zane Clark, director of technician relations at TechForce, spoke about how technicians are wired and see the world differently. He said the selected students stood out for their passion for hands-on work and dedication to quality repairs.
“Those things are going to carry you through and that’s a unique skill that you have,” Clark said. “Education at its best should be that foundation that shapes and molds you into who you want to become.”
Dara Goroff, vice president of Planning & Industry Talent Programming at I-CAR, finds inspiration in seeing young, aspiring, passionate techs excel and push the industry forward.
“Nothing inspires me more than to see successful students who are passionate, who want to carry on legacies,” she said. “It’s because you’ve invested in yourselves and you’ve made some really smart decisions…Choosing a career where you have these amazing educators who believe in you and invest in you helps you to become the person that you are intended to be in this world.”
