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Updated: February 5, 2025 @ 2:04 am
The Top Tech Challenge, an event the Universal Technical Institute of Austin hosts each year, served as a skills showcase for three Temple High School students.
Zakary Jarosek placed first in the welding competition, while Chester Williams and Tyler Gilis placed second in the team automotive competition.
“It felt great to go compete against people from across the state and it helped me gain some confidence in myself,” Jarosek, who executed horizontal and vertical welds, said. “I underestimate myself a lot of times, but competing showed me that I can do this and performing well can also help with getting a job down the road. This really shows that I can do things I sometimes think I can’t do.”
His win last month also earned him a $6,500 scholarship and a Snap-On welding mask — a near-$3,000 product.
“It means a lot for our program, and it shows we are doing things right and turning out students that can compete and win,” Jake Lingo, a Temple High School CTE instructor, said. “That means that they can go out into life and win there, as well. Zakary comes in and works every day, so he has put in the work. The opportunity to go out and win scholarships and help pay for that experience and education down the road is a great incentive for these students.”
Williams and Gillis secured their podium finish for their ability to identify parts, brake problems, climate issues and electrical problems, and their written Automotive Service Excellence test.
“I felt humbled and grateful that we were able to take what our instructor had taught us and put it to use,” Williams, who has aspirations of becoming a diesel mechanic, said. “Going through this competition can help me with opportunities to get jobs. I am able to build my resume, learn how to network, and build connections.”
The pair — who originally had a goal to place third or better — earned $7,500 in tuition grants.
“It is going to help me going forward and I have more confidence in myself,” Williams said. “It will also help lessen the financial worries. I hope other students see this and it sparks something in them. It is an honor to be a student here and have access to these facilities and tools. It goes beyond the wood and the words of the trophy.”
Williams and Gillis competed against 38 other teams and credited their CTE instructor, Brad Hamrick, for preparing them.
“It feels really good to see them perform so well against so many other schools,” Hamrick said. “They were literally tested on everything they would use for certification, so it was an actual real-world experience. I hope that it will grow from here and motivate others to want to compete.”
jvalley@tdtnews.com
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