The trade I am pursuing is automotive restoration. Starting in my freshman year of high school, I noticed how much I wanted to work on cars, so I enrolled in to the Vo Tech school in my county for automotive technology. I started in my sophomore year, and this was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. I had a rusty, old, 1993 Ford Escort GT in my driveway looking for someone to help it become a daily vehicle. This then fueled my drive to want to work on cars, noticing how messed up the green car in the driveway was. Later, I found out that my dad and I had shared the same interests when it came to cars. He then started to engage in my dream, which happened to be his as well, to restore the rusty little thing parked in our driveway. By the time senior year had started, the suspension, clutch, valve cover seal, headliner, and much more had been replaced, with the help of my classmates, myself, and my father. Over the summer, I decided to buy a new carpet for the interior and fully tore out the seats, old carpet, and more. Within days, the new carpet was put in with the help of my father, and it is more beautiful than ever. I was driven to this trade because of both my car, and my father. THis scholarship will help me to be able to graduate and begin working in my career with the tools I need and with as little debt as possible. In COVID, my parents owned a restaurant that went into 2020 doing very well - from the restrictions in NJ, basically being closed for 8 months but still having to pay all the regular costs associated with running a restaurant, they were unable to continue and made the difficult decision to close temporarily at the end of November 2020. THey took all assistance offered but it was debt on debt on debt - this all severely impacted their ability to help my brother and I pay for school. The family is strong and intact, but this was a devastating situation when my brother and I were in highschool and just a few years from college.

What fueled my passion to be involved in this industry started very young with my father, and my own car. I realized how much I enjoyed painting, whether it was on the wall, or on a canvas, and I loved looking at different cars and car brands. It was either I was looking at different colored licence plates, or trying to guess which car is which. I developed a love for cars, and the want to drive stick-shift. In my freshman year of highschool, I started to notice how much I wanted to work on cars, so I enrolled into my Votech starting in my sophomore year. This fueled my drive to want to work on cars, and possibly paint them. My most prized possession is my 1993 Ford Escort GT, and by the time senior year had started, the suspension, valve cover seal, cv-axle, clutch, and more had been replaced by my classmates and I. This is one of many things that got me involved, another one is when my father and I would try to talk about it, and even now when we do. He talks to me about painting, my electrical class, or even my welding classes, and we seem to have always had the same interests. The car was his most cherished item, and then I basically worked on it and over time it became my most valued object. Over the last year and a half, I have learned more than I thought I would. Before coming to Pennsylvania College of Technology, I thought I knew a lot about cars and how to work on them. Turns out I knew nothing. My background in anything automotive consisted of three years of automotive technology in high school. Two years ago, I came to PCT, where I learned everything from electrical work to welding to bodywork and painting. Now that I’m in my second year of college, I’m working on customer vehicles, including my 1993 Ford Escort GT, which includes ding repair, rust removal, and plastic repair, as well as painting and rewiring the sound system. The one main obstacle I really raced was in highschool - I was the only female in the program and it was difficult to get the guys to let me work on the projects - even my own cars when my parents would send them in for projects. I would try and get involved and they would take the tools away from me and step in to do the work. My college has been great - I have had a few other females in my classes and we have proven we can do the job as well. Otherwise, struggles have been job related - the idea that every simple job can turn into a major project. One time, we had been seeking the source of an oil leak. We thought it was the oil pan gasket, so we removed the oil pan, replaced the gaskets, and while it was apart replaced the oil pump. We retimed the engine and replaced the timing belt and water pump. We put it all back together and found we did not fix the leak. I needed to pull my transmission because my rear main seal was leaking. Working through problems and completing the task has become set deep inside who I am. I may get frustrated, but I know that if I keep at it, keep trying different tools and keep trying to find new ways to solve the problem, it will eventually be resolved.

Since before I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed painting, customization, and cars. My dream is to one day own a restoration shop, making others impressed with me. It all started when I was younger, I customized my skateboards by buying new trucks, wheels, and painted the boards to my liking. Then my obsession with painting my feelings on canvases started to surface, and I painted on paper, floor, and even furniture. When I began to grow up a bit, at fifteen years old I took my fathers car into my hands. The 1993 Ford Escort GT that was collecting rust in my driveway was in need of repairs and became a restoration project. I got started as soon as I enrolled into the Automotive program at my Vocational school. In the time that I was there, we fixed anything from the suspension, valve cover seal, clutch, and many more on my car. The things that interest me the most about restoration are taking a car from something that is rusted, and being able to fix it or even section it. Taking a car with little to no clear coat on the exterior anymore, and giving it new paint and the shine that it needs. From having the interior ripped to shreds, to making it as vibrant, or stitched with different patterns when it’s done. I want to customize cars and impress my own eyes, let alone others’ eyes. I can’t wait to make my dreams come true, as well as others when I make their classic cars into something even more amazing than they thought. I would like to have my own restoration shop, but building my way up to it, I would like to work in a shop that works with upholstery. I want to work my way up with upholstery, because to me it’s the most enticing section within restoration. Upholstery makes you able to make the car interior customized, and your own. When I own my own shop when I’m older, the shop will include restoring older, or even customizing newer cars. Over the last year and a half, I have learned more than I thought I would. Before coming to Pennsylvania College of Technology, I thought I knew a lot about cars and how to work on them. Turns out I knew nothing. My background in anything automotive consisted of three years of automotive technology in high school. Two years ago, I came to PCT, where I learned everything from electrical work to welding to bodywork and painting. Now that I’m in my second year of college, I’m working on customer vehicles, including my 1993 Ford Escort GT, which includes ding repair, rust removal, and plastic repair. I learned how to weld in my welding classes- plug welds, open butt joints, butt joints with backers, and many more, both overhead and vertical as well. I had an aero enhancements class that taught me how to work with fiberglass and metalworking, which was extremely informative. We made the molds, then made fiberglass molds, and finally made the hood scoop that we were being graded on, as well as sanded it and made it look nice. I've also begun class on interior repair and sewing, where I am learning to make custom seat covers as well as different sewing techniques. The most important thing I am learning is to make sure you take your time and do it right the first time. I look forward to learning more in the 2026-2027 school year and keep moving my training forward.

1. Which trade are you pursuing and why? The trade I am pursuing is automotive restoration. Starting in my freshman year of high school, I noticed how much I wanted to work on cars, so I enrolled in to the Vo Tech school in my county for automotive technology. I started in my sophomore year, and this was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. I had a rusty, old, 1993 Ford Escort GT in my driveway looking for someone to help it become a daily vehicle. This then fueled my drive to want to work on cars, noticing how messed up the green car in the driveway was. Later, I found out that my dad and I had shared the same interests when it came to cars. He then started to engage in my dream, which happened to be his as well, to restore the rusty little thing parked in our driveway. By the time senior year had started, the suspension, clutch, valve cover seal, headliner, and much more had been replaced, with the help of my classmates, myself, and my father. Over the summer, I decided to buy a new carpet for the interior and fully tore out the seats, old carpet, and more. Within days, the new carpet was put in with the help of my father, and it is more beautiful than ever. My father talks to me about painting, how my electrical class is going and how much there is to learn, or welding classes and how far I’m getting in the labs, and we both love it when I teach him about what I’m learning. I was driven to this trade because of both my car, and my father. 2, If you could pay it forward one day, how would you help or inspire other trade students to succeed? If there were young women and students that were afraid or needed someone to inspire them, I would be the person for that. I would show them that you can’t be brought down by what others think of you, you won't succeed if you don't believe in yourself. The guys are always going to make you feel like you can't do it, but you need to believe in yourself. I would love to inspire the other trade students by giving them my story, and hopefully helping them make their own. I would show other students where I came from, and how I came to be where I am today. I was the only female through all six classes during my three years of automotive technology during high school, and I am currently one of six women in all collision classes in my college. There’s a lot of pressure to prove to the men that you can do it, and the students I’d be inspiring to succeed can do it too.

My career goals include owning my own restoration shop one day. I love the idea of restoring the original make or model, or even making it look prettier. I would love to make a car look as good as new; with a new paint job and some clear coat over the top, it’ll look as beautiful as ever. I know that it takes a long time to build a name for myself, so I would love to even start off with a collision and repair shop, then later when I have some money, and the reputation that I would need, I would open up a restoration and repair shop. Over the last year and a half, I have learned more than I thought I would. Before coming to Pennsylvania College of Technology, I thought I knew a lot about cars and how to work on them. Turns out I knew nothing. My background in anything automotive consisted of three years of automotive technology in high school. Two years ago, I came to PCT, where I learned everything from electrical work to welding to bodywork and painting. Now that I’m in my second year of college, I’m working on customer vehicles, including my 1993 Ford Escort GT, which includes ding repair, rust removal, and plastic repair, as well as painting and rewiring the sound system. What I love about the classes that I’ve taken so far is how hands-on they are. I also enjoy how much we learn. This semester is 3 weeks in, and I’ve learned a bit more about painting, sanding, and plastic repair. I’ve almost mastered plastic repair on one of my bumpers for the Escort. In electrical, I do wish I learned a bit more, but it was 7 hours on Fridays, and it was hard to keep focused, let alone the fact that it’s an electrical class. I learned how to weld in my welding classes- plug welds, open butt joints, butt joints with backers, and many more, both overhead and vertical as well. I had an aero enhancements class that taught me how to work with fiberglass and metalworking, which was extremely informative. We made the molds, then made fiberglass molds, and finally made the hood scoop that we were being graded on, as well as sanded it and made it look nice. I've also begun class on interior repair and sewing, where I am learning to make custom seat covers as well as different sewing techniques. The most important thing I am learning is to make sure you take your time and do it right the first time. I look forward to learning more in the 2026-2027 school year and keep moving my training forward.

Which trade are you pursuing and why? The trade I am pursuing is automotive restoration. Starting in my freshman year of high school, I noticed how much I wanted to work on cars, so I enrolled in to the Vo Tech school in my county for automotive technology. I started in my sophomore year, and this was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. I had a rusty, old, 1993 Ford Escort GT in my driveway looking for someone to help it become a daily vehicle. This then fueled my drive to want to work on cars, noticing how messed up the green car in the driveway was. Later, I found out that my dad and I had shared the same interests when it came to cars. He then started to engage in my dream, which happened to be his as well, to restore the rusty little thing parked in our driveway. By the time senior year had started, the suspension, clutch, valve cover seal, headliner, and much more had been replaced, with the help of my classmates, myself, and my father. Over the summer, I decided to buy a new carpet for the interior and fully tore out the seats, old carpet, and more. Within days, the new carpet was put in with the help of my father, and it is more beautiful than ever. My father talks to me about painting, how my electrical class is going and how much there is to learn, or welding classes and how far I’m getting in the labs, and we both love it when I teach him about what I’m learning. I was driven to this trade because of both my car, and my father. If you could pay it forward one day, how would you help or inspire other trade students to succeed? If there were young women and students that were afraid or needed someone to inspire them, I would be the person for that. I would show them that you can’t be brought down by what others think of you, you won't succeed if you don't believe in yourself. The guys are always going to make you feel like you can't do it, but you need to believe in yourself. I would love to inspire the other trade students by giving them my story, and hopefully helping them make their own. I would show other students where I came from, and how I came to be where I am today. I was the only female through all six classes during my three years of automotive technology during high school, and I am currently one of six women in all collision classes in my college. There’s a lot of pressure to prove to the men that you can do it, and the students I’d be inspiring to succeed can do it too.

I want to be a top tech because I want people to be able to trust me and understand what I'm doing, especially being a female in a male-dominated world. I’ve loved cars from a very young age, and I have certificates showing I could be a mechanic now, but that’s not all that I want to be. I want to be the trusted collision and repair shop or the restoration shop that you would rather go to. I want to build a reputation for being honest and trustworthy with my customers. Mechanics, for years, have been telling women and men the wrong price and the wrong parts that they need, just to get more money and trick people who do not know what they are doing. I feel as though women and men should have a person around them whom they can talk to about cars, or have someone they would feel comfortable bringing their car to, which would be me. So my definition of “top tech,” is someone who you trust to bring your car to, to do work on. In an automotive restoration career, I want to own a shop, maybe starting as a mechanic, or collision and repair shop, and then work my way up to being a restoration shop. At that restoration shop, I would love to focus on replacing rusted metal, custom and factory painting cars, and widebody. I would love to be able to help others achieve the goal that they have with their car since I know it is a pretty hard journey to follow. I had to do it myself with my car for a few years, and I still am. I would enjoy prioritizing replacing rusted metal because I know how it feels to have a car with so much potential, yet have so many rusted parts; anything from a rusted frame, to rusted-out floorboards, to the entire structure being corroded. If I can help someone by fixing their car, then I will gladly do it. I would like to also focus on working with custom or factory paint because I love seeing what can be made out of the car. I love the idea and the art behind painting cars. Whether there are designs in the paint or just a plain color, it makes me so excited, and to see that customer’s face would make me so ecstatic. Learning to become a top tech in all the techniques to restore the beauty and vision of these works of art would mean the world to me. I am dedicated to becoming an expert at cutting, shaping and welding metal, becoming familiar with sourcing materials that are nearly impossible to find. Even learning to adjust a plan, have a “plan B,” when parts are unavailable, and bringing a vehicle owner’s vision to reality is my dream. This starts with learning the process of collision repair where I will learn mechanical restoration to repair or replace broken parts, as well as how to properly align a fender or hood and match a factory paint job. This learning continues a lifetime through bettering and perfecting these techniques. The next step on this journey, for me, is at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

My name is Jocelyn Pandolfo, and I want to restore cars. I am passionate about auto body and restoration because I have wanted to learn it since childhood. When I was younger I was artistic, meaning anything that had to do with painting or drawing, I loved. I enjoyed taking apart and rebuilding Legos. I would buy the Legos and build them, then take them apart, and then continue that cycle for as long as possible. The ones I liked the most were the cars where you could see the engine being made. Then after all of the Lego phases, I moved on to skateboards. I would take them apart, re-paint them, rebuild them, and add new parts to them to make the performance and steering better. I loved having something bland to create something new out of, like a clean slate to add some new parts to, and add some color to. In my freshman year, I realized what I wanted to do when I got older. I wanted to apply to the Union County Vocational Technical School for the auto body program. When we found out UCVTS did not have an auto body program anymore, I applied to be in the automotive technology program that I have now been part of for 3 years. There, I earned my ASE Certification for entry-level auto maintenance and repair, the SP2 Automotive Service Safety certificate and OSHA 10 for safe work environments. Whether I was able to work on the body of the cars or under the hood, I was always so happy to just be working around cars, even being the only girl in the program for all 3 of these past years. I realized I enjoyed taking cars apart, rebuilding them, and designing them to how I liked, just like I loved doing with Legos and skateboards. I love doing what I do now, and I realized that I want to take it to the next step, into what I would enjoy doing with my life. I want to be a top tech because I want people to be able to trust me and understand what I'm doing, especially being a female in a male-dominated world. I’ve loved cars from a very young age, and I have certificates showing I could be a mechanic now, but that’s not all that I want to be. I want to be the trusted collision and repair shop or the restoration shop that you would rather go to. I want to build a reputation for being honest and trustworthy with my customers. Mechanics, for years, have been telling women and men the wrong price and the wrong parts that they need, just to get more money and trick people who do not know what they are doing. Women should have a person around them whom they can talk to about cars, or have someone they would feel comfortable bringing their car to. So my definition of “top tech,” is someone who you trust to bring your car to, to do work on. In an automotive restoration career, I want to own a shop, maybe starting as a mechanic, or collision and repair shop, and then work my way up to being a restoration shop. I would like to focus on working with custom or factory paint because I love seeing what can be made out of the car. I love the idea and the art behind painting cars. This learning continues a lifetime through bettering and perfecting these techniques. The next step on this journey, for me, is at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

My name is Jocelyn Pandolfo, and I want to restore cars. I am passionate about auto body and restoration because I have wanted to learn it since childhood. When I was younger I was artistic, meaning anything that had to do with painting or drawing, I loved. I enjoyed taking apart and rebuilding Legos. I would buy the Legos and build them, then take them apart, and then continue that cycle for as long as possible. The ones I liked the most were the cars where you could see the engine being made. Then after all of the Lego phases, I moved on to skateboards. I would take them apart, re-paint them, rebuild them, and add new parts to them to make the performance and steering better. I loved having something bland to create something new out of, like a clean slate to add some new parts to, and add some color to. In my freshman year, I realized what I wanted to do when I got older. I wanted to apply to the Union County Vocational Technical School for the auto body program. When we found out UCVTS did not have an auto body program anymore, I applied to be in the automotive technology program that I have now been part of for 3 years. There, I earned my ASE Certification for entry-level auto maintenance and repair, the SP2 Automotive Service Safety certificate and OSHA 10 for safe work environments. Whether I was able to work on the body of the cars or under the hood, I was always so happy to just be working around cars, even being the only girl in the program for all 3 of these past years. I realized I enjoyed taking cars apart, rebuilding them, and designing them to how I liked, just like I loved doing with Legos and skateboards. I love doing what I do now, and I realized that I want to take it to the next step, into what I would enjoy doing with my life. I want to be a top tech because I want people to be able to trust me and understand what I'm doing, especially being a female in a male-dominated world. I’ve loved cars from a very young age, and I have certificates showing I could be a mechanic now, but that’s not all that I want to be. I want to be the trusted collision and repair shop or the restoration shop that you would rather go to. I want to build a reputation for being honest and trustworthy with my customers. Mechanics, for years, have been telling women and men the wrong price and the wrong parts that they need, just to get more money and trick people who do not know what they are doing. Women should have a person around them whom they can talk to about cars, or have someone they would feel comfortable bringing their car to. So my definition of “top tech,” is someone who you trust to bring your car to, to do work on. In an automotive restoration career, I want to own a shop, maybe starting as a mechanic, or collision and repair shop, and then work my way up to being a restoration shop. I would like to focus on working with custom or factory paint because I love seeing what can be made out of the car. I love the idea and the art behind painting cars. This learning continues a lifetime through bettering and perfecting these techniques. The next step on this journey, for me, is at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

My name is Jocelyn Pandolfo, and I want to restore cars. I am passionate about auto body and restoration because I have wanted to learn it since childhood. When I was younger I was artistic, meaning anything that had to do with painting or drawing, I loved. I enjoyed taking apart and rebuilding Legos. I would buy the Legos and build them, then take them apart, and then continue that cycle for as long as possible. The ones I liked the most were the cars where you could see the engine being made. Then after all of the Lego phases, I moved on to skateboards. I would take them apart, re-paint them, rebuild them, and add new parts to them to make the performance and steering better. I loved having something bland to create something new out of, like a clean slate to add some new parts to, and add some color to. In my freshman year, I realized what I wanted to do when I got older. I wanted to apply to the Union County Vocational Technical School for the auto body program. When we found out UCVTS did not have an auto body program anymore, I applied to be in the automotive technology program that I have now been part of for 3 years. There, I earned my ASE Certification for entry-level auto maintenance and repair, the SP2 Automotive Service Safety certificate and OSHA 10 for safe work environments. Whether I was able to work on the body of the cars or under the hood, I was always so happy to just be working around cars, even being the only girl in the program for all 3 of these past years. I realized I enjoyed taking cars apart, rebuilding them, and designing them to how I liked, just like I loved doing with Legos and skateboards. I love doing what I do now, and I realized that I want to take it to the next step, into what I would enjoy doing with my life. I want to be a top tech because I want people to be able to trust me and understand what I'm doing, especially being a female in a male-dominated world. I’ve loved cars from a very young age, and I have certificates showing I could be a mechanic now, but that’s not all that I want to be. I want to be the trusted collision and repair shop or the restoration shop that you would rather go to. I want to build a reputation for being honest and trustworthy with my customers. Mechanics, for years, have been telling women and men the wrong price and the wrong parts that they need, just to get more money and trick people who do not know what they are doing. Women should have a person around them whom they can talk to about cars, or have someone they would feel comfortable bringing their car to. So my definition of “top tech,” is someone who you trust to bring your car to, to do work on. In an automotive restoration career, I want to own a shop, maybe starting as a mechanic, or collision and repair shop, and then work my way up to being a restoration shop. I would like to focus on working with custom or factory paint because I love seeing what can be made out of the car. I love the idea and the art behind painting cars. This learning continues a lifetime through bettering and perfecting these techniques. The next step on this journey, for me, is at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

I want to be a top tech because I want people to be able to trust me and understand what I'm doing, especially being a female in a male-dominated world. I’ve loved cars from a very young age, and I have certificates showing I could be a mechanic now, but that’s not all that I want to be. I want to be the trusted collision and repair shop or the restoration shop that you would rather go to. I want to build a reputation for being honest and trustworthy with my customers. Mechanics, for years, have been telling women and men the wrong price and the wrong parts that they need, just to get more money and trick people who do not know what they are doing. I feel as though women and men should have a person around them whom they can talk to about cars, or have someone they would feel comfortable bringing their car to, which would be me. So my definition of “top tech,” is someone who you trust to bring your car to, to do work on. In an automotive restoration career, I want to own a shop, maybe starting as a mechanic, or collision and repair shop, and then work my way up to being a restoration shop. At that restoration shop, I would love to focus on replacing rusted metal, custom and factory painting cars, and widebody. I would love to be able to help others achieve the goal that they have with their car since I know it is a pretty hard journey to follow. I had to do it myself with my car for a few years, and I still am. I would enjoy prioritizing replacing rusted metal because I know how it feels to have a car with so much potential, yet have so many rusted parts; anything from a rusted frame, to rusted-out floorboards, to the entire structure being corroded. If I can help someone by fixing their car, then I will gladly do it. I would like to also focus on working with custom or factory paint because I love seeing what can be made out of the car. I love the idea and the art behind painting cars. Whether there are designs in the paint or just a plain color, it makes me so excited, and to see that customer’s face would make me so ecstatic. Learning to become a top tech in all the techniques to restore the beauty and vision of these works of art would mean the world to me. I am dedicated to becoming an expert at cutting, shaping and welding metal, becoming familiar with sourcing materials that are nearly impossible to find. Even learning to adjust a plan, have a “plan B,” when parts are unavailable, and bringing a vehicle owner’s vision to reality is my dream. This starts with learning the process of collision repair where I will learn mechanical restoration to repair or replace broken parts, as well as how to properly align a fender or hood and match a factory paint job. This learning continues a lifetime through bettering and perfecting these techniques. The next step on this journey, for me, is at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

My name is Jocelyn Pandolfo, and I want to restore cars. I am passionate about auto body and restoration because I have wanted to learn it since childhood. When I was younger I was artistic, I enjoyed taking apart and rebuilding Legos. The ones I liked the most were the cars where you could see the engine being made. Then after all of the Lego phases, I moved on to skateboards. I would take them apart, re-paint them, rebuild them, and add new parts to them to make the performance and steering better. I loved having something bland to create something new out of, like a clean slate to add some new parts to, and add some color to. I like to say that cars are like adult Legos; anyone can build them, you just have to have an instruction book, imagination and the right tools. This is why I want to take that art side of myself and mix it with something that I have loved for many years, which happens to be cars. In my freshman year, I realized what I wanted to do when I got older. I wanted to apply to the Union County Vocational Technical School for the auto body program. When we found out UCVTS did not have an auto body program anymore, I applied to be in the automotive technology program. I want to help others love the cars like they once did, by restoring and repairing their cars.