Amanda Hennessy is rarely at a loss for words. Energetic and articulate, the 2000 graduate of the Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) Automotive Technician program at the Albany campus is an experienced public speaker. 

She is also a graduate of the Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP) at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) and a technician at Gendron’s Truck Center in Troy who is often interviewed about her career choice. Yet at the Capital Region BOCES’ Opening Day assembly on September 3, Hennessy’s words were slowed a bit by emotion as she thanked faculty and staff for her educational experience at the Career & Technical School.

"All of you have touched students’ lives, and I thank you," Hennessy told several hundred BOCES employees. "The teachers at Career Tech have gotten me where I am today. It’s an incredible feeling that I am successful because somebody gave me the hands up and said I could do this."

"Do this," in Hennessy’s case, meant overcoming some resistance at Duanesburg High back in 1998 to enroll as a full-day student in the AYES program. Honors students like Hennessy didn’t generally sign up for Career Tech, even if they had been interested in working on cars since childhood and had an ultimate goal of designing vehicles. "I asked my high school, ‘As long as I could earn my Regents diploma while an AYES student, and also earn credit at HVCC, why would you hold me back?’ At Career Tech, not only did I enroll in AYES, but they also arranged for me to study college-level math."

Hennessy was in the first class to complete the AYES program, which was developed in conjunction with the nation’s major automotive manufacturers and pairs students with sponsoring auto dealerships for paid internships. "Even though it was brand new, the program was top notch and hands-on, which is so important in the automotive field," stressed Hennessy. "You learn a lot from books, but you also need the experience of working on actual vehicles, and AYES enabled me to do that."

Hennessy’s AYES internship sponsor was New Salem Saab, where she worked until last summer, when she became a technician at Gendron’s. She is now pursuing Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification, with a long-term goal of becoming an ASE-certified Master Technician. "I love working on trucks and work with a great group of people at Gendron’s," Hennessy said. "My job is interesting and varied, and I’m gaining the experience I need to test for certifications, which my employer will support and sponsor.

"There are so many more things I can do in the automotive field than I ever imagined," Hennessy continued. "Alternative fuel vehicles, troubleshooting, tech line work, pit crews, alternative fuel vehicles, design and engineering—all of these are job opportunities."

Career & Technical School, Hennessy stressed, opens doors of opportunity for all types of students, even those who arrive on campus with reputations. "At Career Tech, they treat students differently. Everyone gets a fresh start, and the teachers respect the students and help them in every way possible.

"The teachers there don’t even know how much they have done for me and other students," Hennessy related. "There was nothing that could have been done to make my experience there any better than it was."

Advice for students
Gendron’s Truck Center is a sponsoring dealership of General Motors’ ASEP program at HVCC and offers the following advice for students interested in the field:

• Build solid skills in Math, English and computers.
• People skills are important, including appearance, attitude and ability to communicate.
• Visit an auto dealership’s service department to observe and gain insight about the career field.
• Pursue education and training. There is a big need for educated and experienced automotive technicians, and vehicles are more complex.

[Oct. 2002]

Update August 2005:
Amanda Hennessy is a technician at Gendron's Truck Center and is also an aspiring race car driver. She has spent her vacations training with nationally known race car drivers including Lynn St. James. Hennessy is often interviewed by Capital Region media about educational and employment opportunities in the automotive field.