Pueblo, Colo. -- One of the most pleasant surprises of the recent Colorado Automotive Teachers Society (CATS) fall conference was the introduction to attendees of Frank D. Cowgill III, winner of the 2007 SkillsUSA Gold Medal in automotive technology held in Kansas City, Mo.
Cowgill's SkillsUSA Gold Medal award was the culmination of winning successive competitions at the district, state, and national levels. Cowgill also won a gold medal in the SkillsUSA Colorado competition before the national event.
Cowgill, who is attending Pueblo Community College's Automotive Technology program, won the SkillsUSA Gold Medal in late June by performing a job skills demonstration in fuel-injection diagnosis. The demonstration consisted of three minutes set-up time, up to seven minutes of demonstration time, and three minutes break-down time.
The goal was to demonstrate a specific technical skill in an effective and timely manner. "Competing in the national SkillsUSA contest was a big experience because the sheer size, space, and level of vendor investment in the event," Cowgill said.
Cowgill began his quest as an automotive student at Pueblo's Centennial High School by enrolling in an area vocational auto mechanics program. During his attendance at the school, Cowgill competed in various motor sports activities, including the completion of three top-10 finishes in the Motorcycle Racing Association series.
After graduating from Centennial High School, Cowgill spoke with Instructor Robert Maez about earning an Associate in Applied Science degree in automotive technology at Pueblo Community College (PCC). Maez recognized Cowgill's competitive spirit and brought SkillsUSA to Cowgill's attention.
"When Frank first came to me for advising, he indicated interest in competing in automotive-related activities," Maez said. "To prepare for the SkillsUSA event, we followed through to the very last detail in training."
While attending the PCC auto program and competing in district and state SkillsUSA competition, Cowgill completed five internships in the Pueblo area. Cowgill also gained real-world experience as a mechanic at Pueblo Dodge and later with Shisler Inc., where he maintained the company's light trucks and construction equipment.
Currently, Cowgill is completing his associate's degree at Pueblo Community College during the 2008 school year and is considering entering the automotive industry management training program offered by Colorado State University at Pueblo. "I'll continue with what I originally enjoyed," he said.
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