Vintage car club supports HCC students with scholarship

Sep 21, 2017

Houston Community College (HCC) students who train in the Automotive Center of Excellence (COE) now have the opportunity to apply for a new scholarship, thanks to Vintage Thunderbirds of Houston. The collector car club established the $5,000 scholarship after several visits to meet with HCC faculty experts and to see the training provided at the HCC Automotive Technology Training Center. The scholarship will have a positive impact on the program and help to pay for tuition, uniforms, and tools for students training to be automotive repair and auto body repair technicians.

The HCC Automotive COE was looking to expand its partnerships, so Dean David Vogel reached out to the group. “Partnerships like these help the program to produce a better prepared student for the industry, as well as relieve some of the financial stress so that students can concentrate on their studies and training,” Vogel says.

The Vintage Thunderbirds of Houston is a non-profit organization that encourages the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of Ford Thunderbirds. Its membership is comprised of vintage and retro collectors who can be seen at car shows around the city displaying Thunderbirds that go as far back as 1955. The key to keeping these classic cars in great shape is having highly trained technicians available to work on them. By establishing the scholarship, the car club aims to help produce more automotive and auto body repair technicians.

“The group is excited about the new partnership and looks forward to collaborating with our Automotive COE on other projects in the future,” Vogel explains.

The Automotive COE trains students for vehicle maintenance and repair, auto body and collision repair, as well as heavy truck and vehicle repair. For more information on programs offered in the COE, visit hccs.edu/automotive or call 713.718.8100.