If you plan a vacation this summer to Yellowstone National Park and find yourself at one of their four automotive service stations or stuck on the side of the road, you might have the opportunity to meet a student enrolled in Waubonsee Community College's Automotive Technology Program.
Over the past 25 years, the award-winning program has prepared hundreds of students to work at Yellowstone Park Service Stations, Inc (YPSS). Students live in the heart of Yellowstone and gain extensive experience working as technicians and tow truck operators across a vast wilderness.
Last summer, six Waubonsee students salvaged an untold number of visitors' ruined vacations as full-time YPSS employees. It is estimated that over 4.8 million visitors travel to Yellowstone National Park each year. Students put the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) skills they learned at Waubonsee to use in highly versatile ways. On any given day, they are called upon to conduct 24-hour towing and vehicle recovery services on all domestic and imported car brands, including RVs and motor coach homes, and in some cases, as bison and other wildlife standby.
"My experience leading up to Yellowstone has been full of open doors and trying new things, which has opened so many opportunities for me now," said Waubonsee alumnus Cailey Borello, of Yorkville.
Borello, who had never changed the oil on a vehicle prior to enrolling in Waubonsee's Automotive Technology Program, was attracted to the college because of the positive things she had heard about the Automotive Technology Program faculty and because she was offered a Gustafson Scholarship.
"I became fascinated with heavy-duty diesel engines and was so glad I could specialize in that area through Waubonsee's Automotive Technology Program." After earning her degree debt-free, Borello continued earning a Welding Certificate and was offered a six-month position as a YPSS employee, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity she initially believed would never be made available to her as a community college student.
"As a YPSS employee, I would get a call at 4 a.m. and have to tow a 40-foot RV out of a ditch or go out in the wrecker for a disabled vehicle," said Borello. "Operating the equipment gives you confidence because you pull up on the scene and know you're the one who will get the job done quickly and safely."
"Students who become YPSS employees gain experience that any dealer, automotive company, or repair shop would want," said Jeff Guengerich, CEO at Yellowstone.
Waubonsee's Automotive Technology Program is ASE Master certified and an ASE Education Foundation accredited program. Classes prepare students to pass ASE certification tests. It can lead to careers in a wide array of specialties in the industry, making Waubonsee's automotive students highly competitive candidates. Yellowstone is just one of the many opportunities the Automotive Technology Program provides.
Anyone interested in learning more about automotive technology and other Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs is invited to attend Waubonsee’s Career Programs am as part of the event. Waubonsee's Career Programs Open House is free and open to the public. Visit calendar.waubonsee.edu for more information. The event will be held at the Sugar Grove Campus on Thursday, March 9 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Attendees will be able to tour facilities; view the latest equipment; and meet with current automotive technology students, seasoned auto technicians, vendors, and Waubonsee faculty. With a set up like a major college athletic program, complete with a table on a stage, shirts, hats, professional video recording, and a large crowd, students who commit and “sign” are officially welcomed into the college and the Automotive Technology Program.
Pictured above (from left to right): Graduates of Waubonsee Community College’s Automotive Technology Program Jairo De Jesus; Cailey Borello; Jarret Gerstung; Kyle Offerman; Dago Guzman; and Cesar Lozada proudly represent the college as Yellowstone Park Service Stations employees at Yellowstone National Park.
