On Thursday, February 25, 2016, Patrick Rowe, a student at Dillon County Technology Center (DCTC) in Automotive Technology program competed and won first place in the 2016 Automotive All Star Challenge Competition for NATEF Accredited Program held at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, SC. The best of the best students gathered from all over the state to compete in this annual event.
Patrick is a senior at Dillon High School and a 3rd year student at DCTC.   He has taken and passed all nine (9) certifications in Automotive Youth Educational System (AYES/ASE) which makes him a Certified Master Technician. Patrick has job shadowed at two dealerships this past year and is a current CO-OP student employed by Five Star Mercedes Benz of Florence. Upon graduation he plans to attend Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and major in Auto Technology.
As the 1st place winner Patrick received Snap-on tools with cabinet worth $4000.00, the school received a $5000.00 voucher for program improvement materials, and a 2006 Chevrolet Equinox for student automotive training donated by GMC.
Ronnie Webster, Automotive Technology, Instructor is very proud of Patrick and all of his accomplishments and states that “Patrick’s work ethics are beyond his expectations.  He is very proud to have a student with that kind of eagerness to learn and achieve.
Through hard work and dedication, DCTC meets the standard of quality education for all students that have entered the automotive program, as well as, the other programs here at DCTC.