• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Collision Repair Education Foundation

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • E-News
  • Find a School
  • Donate Now
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Governance Information
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Staff
    • Foundation Merchandise
    • Forms and Downloads
  • Students
    • How We Can Help You
    • Collision Student Careers
    • Student Scholarship and Grant Application
    • Student Resume Database
  • Schools
    • Art Meets Automotive Student Contest
    • Strengthen Your Program
    • Collision Repair Education Foundation Benchmark Grant
    • Collision Repair Schools Solutions Survey
  • Supporters
    • Who are our supporters?
    • Industry Leadership Circle
    • Honor Roll of Donors
    • 3M Hire Our Heroes
  • Get Involved
    • Uniform Sponsorship
    • Invest In Our Shared Future
    • Volunteers and Committees
    • Contact Us
  • News & Events
    • Career Fairs
    • Annual Golf Fundraiser
    • Press Releases
    • eNews
    • Photo Album

December 2, 2021 By Collision Repair Education Foundation

From CREF Scholarship Recipient to Gerber Apprentice: Olivia Peterson Shines as an Incoming Collision Repair Professional


Hoffman Estates, Ill. (November 30, 2021) –
When Olivia Peterson, a collision repair student at College of Lake County (Grayslake, Ill.) applied for a scholarship through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) earlier this year, she had no clue how far that simple action would take her in a short span of time. Chosen to receive a $2,500 scholarship from Gerber Collision & Glass, a division of the Boyd Group, Inc., in partnership with CREF, Peterson expressed her gratitude “for the investment in my future that this scholarship provides. By becoming a technician in the auto collision field, I hope that my actions will empower more women to pursue their own careers with cars, and this scholarship will ultimately help me realize this dream.”
Dreams have a funny way of coming true sooner than expected – or at least, that was true in this instance. Peterson applied for an internship at Gerber through their Technician Development Program (TDP) because “I felt that Gerber’s reputable, structured program would provide me with the best education for my new collision repair career.”
“Olivia is a fantastic employee who continues to amaze us,” said Luke Martin, technician development program school liaison for Gerber’s TDP. “Her work ethics are topnotch, and she has been an integral part of the Gerber team since day one. The drive that she shows for this position is something we hope to instill in all our employees.”
Peterson has learned a lot and acquired many new skills since joining Gerber. “The best part of the TDP is the real-world experience. Some aspects of the industry are impossible to accurately replicate in a traditional classroom environment. There is no better way to learn collision repair skills than in the actual environment in which you will be performing the work.”
“Being an apprentice at Gerber has made me feel very confident in my abilities to succeed in this industry,” she continued. “I started out with very little automotive repair experience, and I am amazed by how much program I’ve made and how much I’ve learned in such a short amount of time. I have a very realistic expectation of how the industry functions because I am immersed in it every day as an apprentice. The program teaches a wide variety of repair techniques that reflect the current I-CAR standard procedures, allowing future technicians to be prepared to handle anything that comes their way.”
In honor of National Apprenticeship Month in November, Gerber featured several apprentices, including Peterson, on its social media platforms in recognition of their efforts and successes. “These students are going to be the next workforce and will become an integral part of keeping this industry alive and well,” Martin explained. “The demand for workers in the collision industry is steadily increasing, and the more relationships we can create to better support students, the better we can prepare for this increasing demand.”
The collision repair industry definitely faces its share of demands, but Peterson embraces it all, for better or worse, offering advice for other students and apprentices: “Do not shy away from any challenges! Some repairs can appear quite intimidating, but these are the repairs on which you will experience the most personal growth and which will serve you the most benefit throughout your career.”
Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development, at 312-231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org. Monetary donations can be made online.
The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.
###
If you would like more information about this topic, please email info@ed-foundation.org.

Filed Under: News & Events, Press Release, Uncategorized

Primary Sidebar

Tags

3M Adelmann Family Scholarship Benchmark Grant Career Fair Career Fairs CCC Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Donations Driven Brands Fundraisers Gerber Hire Our Heroes I-CAR Committees Memorial Fund Memorial Scholarship Nominations PPG Resume Database Scholarships SkillsUSA Student of the Year Student Success TopGolf Top Tech Competition Vehicle Donation

Latest Posts

  • Three Collision School Programs Receive $5,000 Benchmark Grants Funded by Caliber Collision through CREF March 7, 2023
  • Operative Talent: A Mission to Engage Students in Collision Careers March 7, 2023
  • Chief Automotive’s $75,000 In-Kind Donation Benefits Collision Schools Through CREF February 28, 2023
  • CREF Introduces 2023 Executive Committee February 28, 2023
  • CREF Opens Applications for 2023 Benchmark Grants February 13, 2023

Footer

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

About the Foundation


The Collision Repair Education Foundation is a national nonprofit and tax-exempt student organization under the Internal Revenue Service Code, Section (501)(c)(3).

Donor Privacy Policy

Discrimination Policy

Equity Statement

ADDRESS:
Collision Repair Education Foundation
5125 Trillium Blvd.
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192

PHONE: 888.722.3787
Email: info@ed-foundation.org

Recent Posts

  • Three Collision School Programs Receive $5,000 Benchmark Grants Funded by Caliber Collision through CREF
  • Operative Talent: A Mission to Engage Students in Collision Careers
  • Chief Automotive’s $75,000 In-Kind Donation Benefits Collision Schools Through CREF
  • CREF Introduces 2023 Executive Committee
  • CREF Opens Applications for 2023 Benchmark Grants
  • LKQ’s Ongoing Support of Collision Schools Through CREF Makes a Huge Impact on the Industry’s Future
  • CREF Invites Collision Industry to Spring 2023 High School & College Transportation Student Career Fairs

FIND A SCHOOL NEAR YOU

Search

Copyright © 2023 · Collision Repair Education Foundation · Log in