The Wreck Rebuild program, funded by the Education Foundation of Alfred, Inc., continues to give Alfred State autobody students hands-on, real-world experience.
Students in the autobody repair major, led by CJ Tremper and Steven Oliver, enhance their skills sets by fixing wrecked vehicles and gaining insight into what it is like to work inside a collision shop. Tremper and Oliver teach and work alongside students throughout their time in the program.
Vehicles are secured through funding provided by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., a private foundation dedicated to improving the Alfred State community through the support of educational programs. The Educational Foundation possesses a New York State automobile dealer’s license that allows the college to purchase wrecked cars from an auto salvage auction, which are then used for hands-on projects. The foundation covers the cost of purchasing these cars and any parts or materials needed to bring them back to pre-accident condition.
Landon Spoonhower (Berkshire, NY) is currently working on a wrecked 2017 Chevy Cruze Hatchback. “It is a good feeling knowing that I can take a wrecked car and make it safe again for a family to drive it. It is satisfying to know we can do that here. Many of my classmates will have the same opportunity throughout the school year.”
“The work Landon and his classmates do on these cars matches what they will see when they are in the workplace,” commented Tremper. “Having these cars in the shop allows our students to apply what they are learning in the classroom and work on a vehicle that will be repaired and sold to the public.”
Tremper continued, “The Cruze was wrecked in the back end and although we are not sure what exactly happened to this car, the damage was isolated to the rear bumper and hatch area. Once it was disassembled, we found out that the rear body panel was damaged, but there was no structural or frame damage. We had fixed another Cruze previously that had been wrecked in the front and our parts car had all the pieces needed to rebuild this car.”
Spoonhower is excited to see the finished product. “We are going to put a whole new body panel on the back and after it is done it will look like it is new again.”
The Education Foundation’s Board of Directors is made up of representatives from alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of the college. The Foundation supports learning opportunities for students through scholarships and community service projects.
