Telegraph photo by ADAM URQUHART Head Career and Technical Education teacher at Nashua High School North Christopher Knoetig, left, Souhegan High School senior Logan Pettus, and Automotive instructor Jason Smith on Friday celebrate their recent award.

NASHUA – The days of hurling wrenches around an automotive repair shop have faded away as technological advancements altered the way technicians repair and maintain vehicles. The industry has continued to evolve through the years, and two young mechanics are now experiencing these changes in the automotive program at Nashua High School North.

Last week, they won a competition in Laconia.

“These guys, I couldn’t be prouder of them,” Automotive instructor Jason Smith said. “They were really fantastic.

Smith is now halfway through his second year instructing this program and provides a wealth of knowledge and experience for the students. He previously owned and operated a repair shop on Long Island, New York for 25 years. Before that, he worked in the trade for dealers and private repair shops. In addition, he was also a mechanic in the Marine Corps.

Today, multiple computers are tucked away inside vehicles. To teach students how to repair and maintain modern automobiles, Smith’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program offered to students opens up their minds to learning new technical skills, while also seeing how they can use their hands to navigate new and emerging technology relative to the automotive industry. With the knowledge supplied by Smith, two seniors, Logan Pettus and Jose Avalos, used their skills during a Jan. 11 competition to win big.

After successfully applying their skills during the 2020 New Hampshire Auto Tech State Championships at Lakes Region Community College in Laconia, the duo returned to Nashua with a win. They now look forward to Nationals in New York City this spring, as they will face competitors from across America.

“They’ve each earned $5,500 each in scholarships from the NHADA (New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association) toward their education at the college level,” Smith said. “When we go to compete in New York City, there’s more scholarships.”

The competition will take place in April with one team from every state participating. However, there are levels that must be completed prior to reaching this competition.

The state event is hands-on, as students complete tasks such as maintenance checks on vehicles, computer diagnostics, tire balance, electrical diagnosis and more. Pettus said this recent state level competition was awesome. Pettus also said he really enjoyed the whole experience and going to see all the different stations.

“There’s 10 stations and each one of them just focused on a different skill,” Pettus said. “You had 20 minutes to complete each station, or get as far as you could in that station, and you were either judged on how you approached the problem or your diagnostic skills or strategies, and usually, you would write down a work order or a worksheet with the answers or our findings, and that was judged.”

Smith said students were also evaluated on other aspects, such as safety, for example. One of the stations required students to diagnose an electrical fault regarding the headlight relay on a truck. In this scenario, the low beams would not activate, but the high beams were working. Students then had to diagnose it and document what they found to be wrong.

“This is the first time Nashua North has ever taken first in this competition,” Christopher Knoetig, head CTE teacher at North, said.

This program is representative of students at both North and South, as well as students who arrive from schools outside the Nashua city limits. Pettus is from Souhegan High School and Avalos is from North, while both are seniors.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

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