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STEM is no joke at Brighton High School. Check out 2022-23 successes
BRIGHTON — Students at Brighton High School are seeing great success with STEM and automotive programs.
Recently, students in the Automotive Technology Program took their National Automotive Service Exams. According to a release, they performed extremely well.
It’s good news for the automotive industry, which is experiencing an extreme shortage of technicians qualified to work on modern automobiles. According to a recent study by TechForce Foundation, the U.S. will experience a shortage of 642,000 technicians by 2024.
The exams, taken by 18 students, cover nine areas of automotive service. Every student passed at least one exam, and some students passed all nine. It’s a 157 percent increase in participation rate from the 2021-22 school year. Success on the exam provides direct benefits not only to students, but also to employers.
Rob Delaney has been the automotive technology instructor at Brighton High School for four years. With four decades of experience in the industry, Delaney brings a high level of enthusiasm to the program.
“I am extremely proud of my auto students and their accomplishments,” he said. “Many of our students are pursuing a career in the automotive field. Several are pursuing careers in automotive engineering and other related fields.
“We focus on developing their problem-solving skills and hands-on ability. Through mentoring, we help them to realize their full potential. The BHS Automotive Program is continually growing and developing to meet the needs of industry. We recognize that the skills and critical thinking that students take away from automotive translate to most all technical trades.
“We continually make investments in state-of-the-art equipment to provide our students with a foundational knowledge of the equipment (they’ll) be using in the industry. I’m grateful for the community support within Brighton and proud to be part of our students’ development.”
But technological success has expanded beyond the automotive industry at Brighton High School, where five students have been offered internships through the High School Science and Technology Program — sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Advanced Engineering Department — and four students have been offered internships through Siemens in CAD product design and programming. One student has been offered an internship at NASA.
“We’ve been fortunate to have many hard-working students engage with the robotics team and many of the programs offered within Brighton schools,” said FIRST Robotics Head Coach Nic Sikma. “It’s exciting to see their dedication pay off for them in big ways. As a coach, it’s been an honor to help them prepare. I look forward to hearing of their future success.”
— Contact reporter Patricia Alvord at [email protected].
