Working on cars wasn’t totally new, but learning how to remove their hood and trunk was for some.
Auto body technology freshmen Juliana Kucera, of Elma, and Simarah Samson Davall, of Augusta, tackled it with ease during Alex Graf’s Auto Body Fundamentals lab.
Removing the hood and trunk were just two of the items on a checklist that Graf, automotive instructional support associate, devised to give students myriad and new experiences. Many of the cars they work on are donations, thanks to grants, networking and partnerships.
It wasn’t a totally new experience for Manny Melendez either. Melendez’s Brooklyn high school included an aviation program where he gained mechanical and other skills he’s putting to good use.
“I have always liked cars, so I made the switch from planes to cars,” he said.
But that wasn’t the only reason why he chose SUNY Morrisville. His aunt is an alumna and he wanted to expand his technical background — hands-on.
That and a passion for automobiles is what drove Kucera to SUNY Morrisville.
“The college has an excellent reputation for its auto programs and hands-on — and I am a hands-on learner,” she said. “I love the lab work. We always have live work.”
Kucera worked as a service writer in a dealership setting before coming to SUNY Morrisville to pursue hands-on work she loves. The program is already giving her vital experience toward her goal of being a vintage restoration technician and owning her own body shop.
Many of Graf’s students were already familiar with SUNY Morrisville’s auto programs through professors’ work and connections with technical and BOCES programs.
“It led me here for sure,” said Davall, who has a two-year BOCES education under her belt.
Dylan Renodin, of Rome, heard about the college from his BOCES program, where he specialized in auto body. He came to SUNY Morrisville to round out his skills in the automotive technology program.
“Each class is something different,” Renodin said. “It is always hands-on in the labs and we get to work on a variety of cars.”
Professors were another factor in his decision to attend SUNY Morrisville.
“I really like the teachers. They are very experienced and when I came to visit, I saw how well the students were being treated,” he said.
Faculty, who are experts in their field, round out the experience, as well as automotive facilities, which are up to speed with the ever-changing auto industry, offering the latest in technology and equipment.
A graduate of SUNY Morrisville’s auto body technology ’16 and former entrepreneurship & small business management ’18 programs, Graf went on to earn his master’s degree from SUNY Poly. His breadth of experience includes vintage Volkswagen restoration and early 1900s Cadillac restoration. An I-Car certified instructor for GMA MIG welding, he is also a technician in painting and non-structural repair.
A 14,000-square-foot auto body technology building houses the most current tools and equipment for collision repair and metal fabrication. Set up as a real-world auto body shop, students perform live laboratory work and help staff a parts department and live service desk to gain experience with repairs, refinishing and estimating.
Features that deliver a modern refinishing environment supported by industry leaders include a frame and body laser alignment system, superior air purification equipment, mixing system, in-floor heating and an environmentally friendly Garmat crossdraft paint spray booth, which can dry a coat of paint in half the normal time.
Graduates have the option to transfer into SUNY Morrisville’s Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree program in automotive technology or the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree program in automotive management.
