Danielle McCarther and John Terrien, the Automotive Technology instructor at Hayfield Secondary School, poses next to a model car made by Terrien’s class at Hayfield. Photo by Janelle Germanos.
When automotive technology instructor John Terrien saw the name of Hayfield Secondary School senior Danielle McCarther on his class roster this year, he was thrilled.
“I was happy to have her in the class,” Terrien said.
Terrien had met Danielle a couple years ago when she was in another class. She would sometimes come into the auto tech classroom. When Danielle registered for the class, she was able to skip ahead to Auto III.
“That is a rare situation that we allow that to happen,” Terrien said. “But she is very bright.”
Danielle recently competed in the SkillsUSA District 5 competition and received a gold medal in automotive service technology. She will be competing in the Virginia SkillsUSA state competition in Roanoke in April.
SkillsUSA is an organization dedicated to ensuring students have the necessary skills to contribute to a strong and skilled workforce.
The competitions involve a great deal of preparation and require participants to know a large amount of information related to automotive technology. It consists of both hands-on and written portions.
“It’s a combination of different skills- we have to balance tires, do a Virginia state inspection, and there are written tests,” McCarther said.
McCarther has been practicing during Auto III class, where she has assisted other students in building a model car, and after school.
“It’s rare that a first-year auto tech student does so well at competitions,” Terrien said.
McCarther plans to enlist in the army after high school, but she is still thankful for the knowledge of cars that she has gained by taking automotive technology.
“It will always be a good skill to have,” McCarther said. “I know I won’t be ripped off when I go to a mechanic.”
According to Terrien, Danielle would be successful running a mechanical shop, as she has great communication skills.
Terrien said that many students in his classes are interested in pursuing careers in the automotive industry after high school, and believes the curriculum helps them prepare for this field.
Terrien said Danielle is one of the brightest and most motivated students in his automotive technology classes, although Danielle herself doesn’t have a driver’s license yet.
“I like her enthusiasm. She works hard to succeed. And she makes my job fun,” Terrien said.
Although she will be sad when Danielle graduates, Danielle’s sister Jenna plans to take auto tech next year.
“I am looking forward to taking it,” Jenna said.
Danielle is the only female student enrolled in Auto III.
“We would like to see that change,” Terrien said.