POWAY, Calif. – Kevin Krutell from St. Claire Shore, Mich., was recently named the 2012 Mitchell 1 Automotive Technology Outstanding Student during the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) conference held at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. 
Each year, Mitchell 1 recognizes one U.S. or Canadian high school senior for outstanding achievement in automotive technology and auto shop repair scholastics. Krutell received a $2,500 scholarship, a check for $500 and round trip airfare and accommodations for himself and his mother to attend the NACAT conference.
“Mitchell 1 is proud to recognize Kevin Krutell for his outstanding achievement and strong dedication to pursuing educational excellence in the automotive technology field,” said Nick DiVerde, senior marketing director, Mitchell 1. “With Kevin’s drive and enthusiasm for making a difference in the aftermarket, we know he will one day accomplish his dreams.”
Krutell graduated from Lakeview High School in St. Claire Shores, Mich., in May. While in school, he was a member of the National Honor Society, the auto club, the rugby team and the St. Claire Shores ski club, as well as a mentor in the Promoting Academic and Social Success Team.
Krutell is currently working as an automotive technician at Jefferson Motor Service. He is enrolled in the automotive program at the Ohio Technical College (OTC) in Cleveland, Ohio, for the fall 2012 semester and may continue his education in OTC’s high-performance or auto restoration programs. Down the road, he hopes to complete an engineering/business degree and achieve his ultimate goal of one day owning a repair shop.
His accomplishments include a first place finish in the brake segment of the regional level of the SkillsUSA competition, and holding the record in the OTC Edelbrock Carburetor Challenge with a dissemble and reassemble time of five minutes, 51 seconds. He also took the online exam portion of the Ford AAA Automotive Competition and he and another student were one of 10 teams from Michigan to move to the hands-on level of the competition.
“My reasons for wanting a career in the automotive field are simple,” said Krutell. “I like working with my hands, finding and solving problems and being able to install parts on cars to make them into whatever I or the car owner want. I can then step back, admire my work and see the joy it brings to other people. I hope to think differently and push further, blending technical and academic achievements to help combine performance and fuel-efficiency in the automotive aftermarket field.”
Krutell hopes to lead his generation to new advances in the automotive alternative fuels field. By utilizing aftermarket parts in addition to new hybrid technologies, he hopes to one day build the racecar, hot rod or tuner of the future.
