Klein ISD -

Students from Klein Forest, Klein Oak, and Klein Cain High Schools participated and placed in the Houston Auto Dealers Association (HADA) and ASE Education Foundation Automotive Tech Competition at San Jacinto College.

Klein Cain placed first, and Klein Oak placed second in the Houston-area competition. Both teams earned spots in the upcoming competition hosted by the North Texas Automobile Dealers Association and ASE Education Foundation at the prestigious Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Sponsored by Sterling McCall, Gillman Subaru, and Gillman Acura, this event showcased the rewarding career opportunities in automotive education while fostering connections between aspiring technicians and industry leaders.

“I am incredibly proud of the Klein Forest, Klein Oak, and Klein Cain high school teams for their outstanding performance in the elite Houston Area Dealers competition,” Klein ISD Career & Technical Education Director Deborah Bronner-Westerduin said. “Klein Oak and Klein Cain advanced to the North Texas Dealers Association competition, where they performed exceptionally well—demonstrating our students' hard work, dedication, and talent. These students not only represented their campuses, sponsoring dealerships, and the Houston region with pride but also gained invaluable industry connections. They also had a unique experience at the Texas Motor Speedway that will stay with them forever.”

Our Klein ISD Automotive Technology student teams worked diligently in preparation for the competition. They gained practical experience by job shadowing technicians at the sponsoring dealerships and completing additional assignments in their classes. Students improved their skills in technical writing for repair orders, preparing professional resumes, and participating in mock interviews.

The competition brought together 20 high school teams from Houston, all part of ASE-accredited programs. Each team demonstrated their expertise in key areas of the automotive industry, including:

-Diagnosing customer concerns and vehicle issues
-Troubleshooting vehicle electrical circuits
-Conducting preventative maintenance inspections and repairs
-Performing on-vehicle diagnostics, which tested students' ability to identify, diagnose, and repair problems within a 90-minute time frame
-Demonstrating technical writing and job interview skills

This hands-on competition challenged students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. It provided valuable opportunities to develop essential skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication—prerequisites for success in the automotive industry.

Students from Klein Oak and Klein Cain participated in individual testing during a qualifying round on the first day of the competition. This determined their placement on two-person teams for the highly anticipated vehicle repair event the following day. The advancing team members included Jacob Leipzig and Paul Walker from Klein Oak, Emmanuel Bonilla, and Astin Garcia from Klein Cain. Klein Cain's Elias Gomez was selected as an alternate team member and was paired with a student from another school district. Elias Gomez and his partner secured First Place in the Alternate Division, outperforming talented competitors. Elias’ success exemplifies the caliber of students we are fortunate to have in Klein ISD.

Congratulations to these students on their remarkable achievements in the competitions. Your #KleinFamily is incredibly proud of you for representing our district so well in the community!