From staff reports:

Matt Suelzle, an automotive technology student at Decatur High School, recently earned first place in the automotive service category at the April 12 SkillsUSA State Contest at South Seattle Community College.

He won $400 in tools and $13,500 in scholarships, as well as the opportunity to compete in the national contest slated for June in Kansas City.

Another Decatur student, Ben LeMaster, earned second place in the automotive maintenance category.

A team of seven students from Decatur, taught by automotive technology instructor Luke D. Thompson, competed in the events. The program also featured a first-place state winner in 2012, Gordon Sabin, who went on to win third at nationals that year. Thompson’s automotive students routinely score paid internships at local car dealerships.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) are courses at the high school level that help students explore career opportunities and learn how academic subjects like math and science are used in various career fields. These classes feature skills standards in a subject matter as well as leadership and employability training.