The Automotive program at Bullard-Havens Technical High School that is paving the way for automotive students to gain college credits at Gateway Community College (GCC) has received national recognition.

Tomorrow’s Tech magazine named Bullard-Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport the 2018 School of the Year.   Roxanne Amiot, instructor and automotive department head at Bullard-Havens and adjunct professor in the GCC automotive program, accepted the award recently during the AAPEX Show in Las Vegas.  Bullard-Havens was selected out of 221 entries. 

At GCC, Amiot teaches Automotive Electrical Systems and Women Drive, basic vehicle maintenance workshops designed with women in mind.  Amiot herself studied fashion at Bullard-Havens in high school before deciding during a rotation that she preferred working with cars.  She said that 10 out of the 70 students she currently has in her program are female and the automotive field is one that embraces women.   

Amiot has partnered closely with the GCC automotive program to help students at the technical high school move on to achieve associate degrees through the GCC College Now program, a concurrent enrollment program that allows junior and senior high school students to take GCC credit courses while still in high school.  All courses include the same content and rigor GCC provides.  Amiot noted that the articulation agreement with GCC factored into the entry for the national award.

“I am proud of Gateway’s automotive technology programs and the important partnerships that create excellent opportunities and pathways for our students,” said GCC President, Paul Broadie II. “I congratulate Roxanne and Bullard-Havens Technical High School on their national recognition and applaud them for their innovative approach to preparing students for success in the 21st century workforce.”

GCC recently donated a 2008 Chevy Tahoe to Bullard-Havens to ensure that students there get to learn on the latest technology.  Daniel Fuller, professor and department chair of automotive technology at GCC, said that the vehicle was originally donated by General Motors to GCC’s automotive program.

“We use these donation vehicles to teach our students, then re-donate to support the high school automotive programs,” he said, noting that with only 32 miles on it, the car is like new. 

The Chevy Tahoe is the fifth vehicle donated to Bullard-Havens in recent years.  Fuller said that through College Now, many Bullard-Havens students have earned associate degrees at GCC and moved into very successful automotive careers.
Celia Carvalho-Rubino, coordinator of Dual Enrollment & CCP Partnerships at GCC, said that Amiot is “an extraordinary instructor,” adding that the recognition of Amiot’s program at Bullard-Havens is a huge accomplishment for GCC’s Dual Enrollment Initiative.  Amiot has been part of the College Now program for three years.

Through Bullard-Havens, students are able to earn from 3 to 15 college credits upon successful completion of the GCC Automotive program.  Carvalho-Rubino said that this allows students to get a head start to a certificate or associate degree, “an impressive cost savings to further their education.” 

“In a predominantly male-driven industry, Roxanne has been breaking ground by demonstrating what hard work and perseverance are,” Carvalho-Rubino said.  “She is a role model, especially for female learners, working tirelessly to grant students a meaningful college experience, while assuring they are current with workforce demand.”