Two top tech students continue to excel

Originally Published:  September 1, 2013

In April, students in Consolidated High School District 230 excelled at the Illinois Association of SkillsUSA during its 49th annual Leadership and Skills Conference in Springfield.
John Nanney, computer and network teacher at Sandburg High School in Orland Park, provided an update on two of the top students who participated in the three-day conference.

Tom Hahn, a 2013 graduate of Sandburg’s automotive service technology program, trained and studied under Sandburg automotive instructor Ron Morris for the SkillsUSA competition. Hahn ranked first in state and 18th in nationals during the automotive service technology portion of the competition.
Awarded more than $39,000 in scholarships to multiple automotive trade schools, Hahn chose to attend Joliet Junior College, even though JJC did not provide him with financial aid.
Hahn said that even with the other scholarships, the cost of attending JJC was comparable because he would be able to live at home and save on room-and-board costs.
“JJC greatly helped with my training. Their automotive program is very good and economically friendly,” said Hahn, who will become a master certified technician after two years.
At that point, he hopes to transfer to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale to study to become an automotive engineer.
“I want to design vehicles that reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases,” Hahn said. “I have some good ideas. They may not be new, but I look forward to working on them.”
Hahn is working at JJM Automotive in Oak Lawn and has transitioned into the workplace with the skills of a master mechanic. He speaks highly of JJM Automotive, describing it as “very professional and fair to their customers, and as a young technician, I appreciate how they teach patiently while I am working, letting me learn at my own pace.”
Hahn said a major benefit of taking part in the SkillsUSA competition is that “you will gain so much knowledge, and you will be prepared for the workplace.” He said he thought he knew a lot going in to the conference but learned much more.
“I gained knowledge but also learned about sportsmanship, modesty, how to behave and what to expect in the workplace,” he said.