Students in Careerline Tech Center’s Auto Body Repair program rebuilt a damaged Ford Explorer into an Interceptor cruiser for use by the school’s Public Safety and Security Services program.
Local business partners enhanced the education of current and future Careerline Tech Center students through donations of goods and services, allowing students in the Auto Body Repair program to rebuild a damaged Ford Explorer into an Interceptor cruiser for use by the CTC Public Safety and Security Services program.
Jake Conroy, technician success process coordinator for Ford Motor Company, said Ford chose to donate one of the limited number of damaged new vehicles to CTC from more than 1,000 schools participating in Ford’s Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program. Working on new vehicles allows students to keep up to date with the constantly evolving modern technology.
“We selected CTC’s Auto Body Repair program to receive this new vehicle due to the exemplary utilization of the ACE training provided by Ford, a strong working relationship with local Ford dealerships, a record of student placement in those dealerships, and positive recommendations from Ford’s technical placement specialist and market area coordinator,” Conroy said.
The vehicle was considered totaled due to extreme body and water damage. CTC business partner Barber Ford in Holland covered costs to transport the Explorer to CTC, half of the cost for parts needed or repairs and allowed students to remove the seats and carpets for proper drying and reassembly at the Barber Ford facility.
“Over the years, we've built strong relationships with CTC students who have gone on to become valued, highly skilled members of our team,” Barber Ford service manager Frank Siebart said. “Supporting education and workforce development is an investment in both our community and the future of the industry, and Barber Ford is proud to play a role in helping students gain the practical knowledge and confidence they'll need to succeed.”
Working on a new car provided valuable hands-on experience, especially the process of sectioning in the upper aperture panels, which are part of the unified assembly of today’s vehicles. The work required precise measurements, following proper manufacturer procedures, and specific welds to ensure a safe and strong repair, along with filler and finish work to make seams invisible after the vehicle has been refinished.
“Our students were intrigued when they first saw the damage on the top of this vehicle, but it wasn’t until we began cutting the entire roof panel off that they really became amazed at the extent of repairs that can be done on today’s vehicles,” CTC Auto Body Repair program instructor Gary Prins said. “Students removed the entire interior of the vehicle for this project: headliner, seats, trim panels, air bags, etc. It was just a metal shell!”
Throughout the rebuild, students practiced advanced technical skills, including structural repairs, precise measurements, welding, and finishing work.
Once the car was physically repaired, CTC staff reached out to local vendors, including CJ Gosko, sales and production manager for Forge Safety and a former CTC student, for assistance in transitioning the vehicle into a law enforcement training car for the PSSS program.
“I was eager to assist and connected with a few of our vendors,” Gosko said. “Go Rhino provided the push bumper, front partition, rear prisoner seat, and rear partition and SoundOff Signal gave multiple light heads as well as the siren controller. My staff and I are so excited to be a part of this build and to give such an amazing gift to the school.”
Once the vehicle was outfitted inside, local work-based learning partner Xtreme Stylin was eager to help with the final outside touches.
“We wanted to be involved because this project sits right at the intersection of what we care about: craft, community, and real-world learning,” Xtreme Stylin vice president Curtis Lubbers said. “Giving students a professional training vehicle they can actually work with helps them see what’s possible and picture themselves doing this kind of work in the real world.”
Lubbers added that wrapping the car was a chance to give back to a program that helped shape their own team, and to show students what goes into high-level design and graphics for public safety vehicles.
“We want them to know there are local companies that believe in them and are excited about the future they’re building,” he said.
“I am proud of the way that everyone who had a part in this project came together to make this possible,” Prins said. “This truly is a product of the community. It took a lot of work, planning, communicating, and hauling the vehicle around town, but it was totally worth it in the end!”
Jake Conroy, technician success process coordinator for Ford Motor Company, said Ford chose to donate one of the limited number of damaged new vehicles to CTC from more than 1,000 schools participating in Ford’s Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program. Working on new vehicles allows students to keep up to date with the constantly evolving modern technology.
“We selected CTC’s Auto Body Repair program to receive this new vehicle due to the exemplary utilization of the ACE training provided by Ford, a strong working relationship with local Ford dealerships, a record of student placement in those dealerships, and positive recommendations from Ford’s technical placement specialist and market area coordinator,” Conroy said.
The vehicle was considered totaled due to extreme body and water damage. CTC business partner Barber Ford in Holland covered costs to transport the Explorer to CTC, half of the cost for parts needed or repairs and allowed students to remove the seats and carpets for proper drying and reassembly at the Barber Ford facility.
“Over the years, we've built strong relationships with CTC students who have gone on to become valued, highly skilled members of our team,” Barber Ford service manager Frank Siebart said. “Supporting education and workforce development is an investment in both our community and the future of the industry, and Barber Ford is proud to play a role in helping students gain the practical knowledge and confidence they'll need to succeed.”
Working on a new car provided valuable hands-on experience, especially the process of sectioning in the upper aperture panels, which are part of the unified assembly of today’s vehicles. The work required precise measurements, following proper manufacturer procedures, and specific welds to ensure a safe and strong repair, along with filler and finish work to make seams invisible after the vehicle has been refinished.
“Our students were intrigued when they first saw the damage on the top of this vehicle, but it wasn’t until we began cutting the entire roof panel off that they really became amazed at the extent of repairs that can be done on today’s vehicles,” CTC Auto Body Repair program instructor Gary Prins said. “Students removed the entire interior of the vehicle for this project: headliner, seats, trim panels, air bags, etc. It was just a metal shell!”
Throughout the rebuild, students practiced advanced technical skills, including structural repairs, precise measurements, welding, and finishing work.
Once the car was physically repaired, CTC staff reached out to local vendors, including CJ Gosko, sales and production manager for Forge Safety and a former CTC student, for assistance in transitioning the vehicle into a law enforcement training car for the PSSS program.
“I was eager to assist and connected with a few of our vendors,” Gosko said. “Go Rhino provided the push bumper, front partition, rear prisoner seat, and rear partition and SoundOff Signal gave multiple light heads as well as the siren controller. My staff and I are so excited to be a part of this build and to give such an amazing gift to the school.”
Once the vehicle was outfitted inside, local work-based learning partner Xtreme Stylin was eager to help with the final outside touches.
“We wanted to be involved because this project sits right at the intersection of what we care about: craft, community, and real-world learning,” Xtreme Stylin vice president Curtis Lubbers said. “Giving students a professional training vehicle they can actually work with helps them see what’s possible and picture themselves doing this kind of work in the real world.”
Lubbers added that wrapping the car was a chance to give back to a program that helped shape their own team, and to show students what goes into high-level design and graphics for public safety vehicles.
“We want them to know there are local companies that believe in them and are excited about the future they’re building,” he said.
“I am proud of the way that everyone who had a part in this project came together to make this possible,” Prins said. “This truly is a product of the community. It took a lot of work, planning, communicating, and hauling the vehicle around town, but it was totally worth it in the end!”
Organist to Perform as Part of Second Recital Series
Organist Dr. Julia Brown will perform a recital as part of Second Reformed Church’s Second Recital Series on Sunday, Jan. 18.
The performance begins at 4 p.m.
Brown has been part of the staff at Mayflower Congregational Church in Grand Rapids since 2018.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brown studied piano, harpsichord, and organ in her native Brazil before receiving her Master’s of Music in church music and Doctor of Musical Arts in organ performance from Northwestern University.
Julia is passionate about music-making with volunteers and professionals of all ages. She believes that music is a powerful means of outreach, faith formation, and spiritual growth.
In addition to church work, Julia teaches, performs, and records. Her Naxos recordings of W. F. Bach, J. S. Bach, Buxtehude, and Scheidemann have gained high critical acclaim, and are readily available on Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube.
Julia has three children, Howell, Gabriela, and Alex Petty.
The Second Recital Series offers free performances monthly during the program year, with each followed by a reception in the Gathering Place of the church. This serves as an opportunity to meet the artist and enjoy a social time with light refreshments provided.
Second Reformed Church is located at 225 E. Central Ave. Convenient parking is available at the corner of Church Street and Cherry Avenue, with an accessible entry from the parking lot into and throughout the building.
The performance begins at 4 p.m.
Brown has been part of the staff at Mayflower Congregational Church in Grand Rapids since 2018.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brown studied piano, harpsichord, and organ in her native Brazil before receiving her Master’s of Music in church music and Doctor of Musical Arts in organ performance from Northwestern University.
Julia is passionate about music-making with volunteers and professionals of all ages. She believes that music is a powerful means of outreach, faith formation, and spiritual growth.
In addition to church work, Julia teaches, performs, and records. Her Naxos recordings of W. F. Bach, J. S. Bach, Buxtehude, and Scheidemann have gained high critical acclaim, and are readily available on Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube.
Julia has three children, Howell, Gabriela, and Alex Petty.
The Second Recital Series offers free performances monthly during the program year, with each followed by a reception in the Gathering Place of the church. This serves as an opportunity to meet the artist and enjoy a social time with light refreshments provided.
Second Reformed Church is located at 225 E. Central Ave. Convenient parking is available at the corner of Church Street and Cherry Avenue, with an accessible entry from the parking lot into and throughout the building.
Five Receive Academic Honors at Cedarville
Five students from Zeeland have been recognized for outstanding academic work during the fall 2025 semester at Cedarville University in Urbana, Ohio.
Natalie DeZwaan and Dylan Killilea were named to the university’s Dean’s Honor List for maintaining at least a 3.75 grade point average while carrying at least 12 credits.
Meanwhile, Adrienne Iford, Nathan Steenwyk, and Jacob Taylor made the Dean’s List’s for maintaining at least a 3.5 grade point average while carrying at least 12 credits.
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation's top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal's 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
Three Named to Dean's List at Olivet Nazarene
Katelyn Inman, Emily Pyle and Colton Ruster, all of Zeeland, have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2025 semester at Olivet Nazarene University.
To qualify for inclusion on the Dean's List, a student must have been enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and must have attained a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 grading scale.
Olivet Nazarene University is an accredited Christian, liberal arts university offering more than 140 areas of undergraduate and graduate study, including the Doctor of Education in ethical leadership. Olivet's 275-acre park-like main campus is in Bourbonnais, Ill., 45 miles south of Chicago. Additionally, Olivet offers graduate and continuing studies via online education.
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