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WINTER 2023–2024
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                              Whitewater High School Tech Ed Automotive Students


                              Receive ASE Certifications


              Wednesday morning at Whitewater High                                                                career readiness.”
           School was a special day for eight tech ed stu-                                                           The ASE provides both, he said.
           dents taking automotive classes.                                                                          While  all  of  his  students  are  given  an
              Their  teacher,  Justin  Buntrock,  said  the                                                       opportunity to take the ASE exams, not every-
           students,  all  of  whom  had  passed  an  exami-                                                      one passes them, he stated.
           nation  certifying  them  in  various  aspects                                                            This  year,  in  his  Automotives  1  class,
           of  automotive  service  and  repair,  were  the                                                       11  students  took  the  brakes  exam  and  five
           recipients  of  specially  purchased  customized                                                       achieved certification.
           mechanic shop shirts, each sporting the name                                                              In his Automotives 2 class, six students
           of  the  student,  the  “Whitewater  automotive”                                                       took the MLR exam and three achieved certi-
           program logo, and an ASE (National Institute                                                           fication.
           for Automotive Service Excellence) patch.                                                                 Students  can  try  again  anytime  before
              The shirts, which were distributed to the                                                           June, he said.
           students  Wednesday  morning,  served  as  an                                                             Some  students  are  drawn  to  the  certifi-
           incentive to encourage them to take the certi-                                                         cation  opportunities  because  they  are  likely
           fication exams, Buntrock said.                                                                         considering a career in the field or have auto-
              Whitewater High School Principal Brent                                                              motive backgrounds in their families.
           Mansky  came  up  with  the  idea,  Buntrock                                                              It’s a history that Buntrock shares.
           noted, adding that the opportunity to earn the   Whitewater High School Automotive 1 and 2 students AJ Canipe, from left, Jacob Raglin, Lo-
           shirts was well-received by his automotive stu-  gan Voegeli, Nolan Legge, Nate Holden, Justin Johnson, Gavan LaFlash, Scotty Krebs, and   A new automotive teacher
                                             tech ed automotive teacher Justin Buntrock gather in the automotive shop after the students
           dents, who viewed them as a source of program   receive their customized mechanic shop shirts. The shirts were presented Wednesday to   Buntrock  joined  the  Whitewater  High
           and school pride.                 eight students who in December achieved ASE certification.           School  staff  at  the  beginning  of  last  school
                                                                                                                  year. Prior to that, he said, he served for five
           The value to ASE certification    light repair, Buntrock said, describing the exam   get a foot in the door to start a career in the   years as an automotive shop teacher at the Fort
              According to Buntrock, eight of his stu-  taken by students in Automotives 2 as “more   automotive field,” further describing the certi-  Atkinson High School.
           dents had each taken and passed one of two   rigorous.”              fications as “a good resume builder.”  He  made  the  move  because  he  saw  an
           exams in December.                    Students who take the automotive classes   Among the students who take his classes,   opportunity to become involved with program
              Students  in  his  “Automotive  1”  class,   offered at Whitewater High School learn auto   he said, “some will go into the workforce or   development,  which,  he  said,  offered  some
           including Nolan Legge, Gavan LaFlash, Nate   mechanics  and  shop-based  skills,  Buntrock   will go to school for an automotive career, and   rewarding  challenges,  and  the  school  had  a
           Holden, AJ  Canipe  and  Logan Voegeli,  took   said.                the ASE certification is an almost guaranteed   larger automotive shop.
           and  passed  an  exam  to  certify  them  in  the   “The ASE certification is a nationally rec-  in.”     While  serving  in  the  School  District  of
           service and maintenance of brakes. Taking the   ognized certification and an industry standard   Still,  he  said,  not  every  student  who   Fort Atkinson and in an earlier interview with
           Automotives  1  class  and  passing  the  brake-  for most mechanics in the industry,” Buntrock   takes automotive classes is planning a career   Fort Atkinson Online, Buntrock said his inter-
           related ASE exam were the two requirements   noted in a recent email.  in the industry, but those who take his classes   est in the automotive industry was nurtured by
           for certification.                    He described the exams taken by his stu-  and  earn  certification  will  have  opportuni-  his father, whom, he said, wanted he and his
              Students  in  his  “Automotives  2”  class,   dents  as  “very  content  heavy  on  theory  and   ties to save money because they will be able   brother to have self-sufficiency when it came
           including  Scotty  Krebbs,  Justin  Johnson  and   automotive repair skills and knowledge.”    to  perform  some  of  their  own  work  on  their   to their vehicles.
           Jacob  Raglin,  had  previously  taken Automo-  Buntrock  said  he  steers  his  students   vehicles.     “My old man was a mechanic for about
           tives 1, and last semester, they took and passed   toward  achieving  the  ASE  certifications   “It  benefits  them  in  real-world  life,”  he
           an ASE exam in “MLR,” or maintenance and   because, “it’s just a really good opportunity to   said, adding that he likes to say: “life skills and   Continued on Page 12

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