First in the nation: HFC ASSET instructor achieves 10-year Senior Master status
Pictured: Kris Young, left, receives his first-in-the-nation award from National ASSET Coordinator Brendan Coursey
HFC Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) Program Coordinator and Instructor Kristopher Young has been recognized as the first ASSET instructor across the nation to achieve 10 years of being a Service Engineering Operations (SEO) Senior Master.
Ford Motor Co. National ASSET Coordinator Brendan Coursey presented Young with this unique award on October 8.
“More than 500 hours of training and commitment go into this achievement, and we are all very proud of your dedication to excellence and learning new technical competencies. Retaining this certification year after year requires mastering many new courses, as our technologies progress and new curriculum is released. On behalf of Ford, our dealer partners, and students, we are very grateful for you and your efforts. Congratulations!” said Coursey.
Throughout the decade, Young, of Brighton, himself a graduate of the HFC ASSET program, attended numerous training sessions annually to keep his various certifications as an ASSET instructor. There are 75 ASSET instructors who teach across 41 ASSET-affiliated higher education institutions in the United States.
“It really blew my mind that nobody else in the U.S. has done this,” said Young. “I wasn’t doing this to get an award. I did all this training throughout the years to get and maintain all my certifications. I just wanted to keep up the high standards of this program. It didn’t occur to me that this would become an award. For Ford to go out of their way to create this award to recognize my work feels really good, because this was not something they had to do.”
Enjoys training the next generation of Ford and Lincoln dealership technicians
ASSET is a partnership between HFC and Ford, offering a unique combination of classroom learning and practical experience. It is the only program of its kind in Michigan. ASSET allows students to earn an associate degree in automotive service technology while receiving on-the-job training at a sponsoring Ford or Lincoln dealership. Students will alternate between eight-week periods of classroom sessions and full-time dealership work. In this way, students gain direct and immediate experience applying learned theory to a real-world setting and become familiar with the dealership environment, its organizational structure, and the capabilities expected of a professional automotive technician.
“I enjoy being able to train the next generation of Ford and Lincoln dealership technicians the way they should be trained. I spend five straight semesters with the same students. By the time we get to the end and they graduate, we’ve become a big extended family,” said Young.
Both HFC Dean of the School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Professional Development (BEPD) Dr. Patricia Chatman and HFC Associate Dean of Industrial Technologies Dr. Sašo Krstovski expressed their pride in Young’s accomplishment.
“We are filled with excitement and congratulate Kris on his outstanding work, dedication, and success in achieving 10 years of SEO Senior Master status out of 75 instructors!” said Chatman.
Added Krstovski: “Kris's commitment to excellence, innovation, and student success has set a high standard. This award is a testament to the influence he has on both his peers and the broader academic and ASSET community.”
“HFC gave me the education I needed to get to this point in my career”
A Detroit native, Young graduated from Plymouth Christian Academy. After earning his associate in applied science in automotive service technology from HFC (then Henry Ford Community College), he transferred to Siena Heights University and earned his bachelor’s degree in automotive service technology. Young is also a State of Michigan Master Certified Technician, a Ford Certified Senior Master Technician Gas/Diesel, an ASE Certified Master Auto Technician, and a Medium/Heavy Truck Technician.
Young has taught Automotive Technology at the College since 2007. While he feels blessed to have been given this award, he wanted to express his gratitude to the many who helped him achieve it.
“I would like to thank my wife, Jill, and my sons, Owen and Wyatt, for constantly putting up with my update training, whether online or in-person,” said Young. “I would also like to thank Brendan Coursey, Tony Farr, and the entire team at Ford for their continuing support for me and the ASSET program here at HFC – as well as around the country. My dealer service managers, service directors, general managers, and owners who employ our students keep us running and provide constant strong support as well.”
He continued: “HFC gave me the education I needed to get to this point in my career, and I am also thankful to my colleagues and administrators: Victor Gregory and Ashley Smith, Dr. Pat Chatman, Dr. Sašo Krstovski, (HFC Vice President of Academic Affairs) Dr. Michael Nealon, and HFC President Russ Kavalhuna for making Automotive Technology and ASSET a focal point and a point of pride here at the College. I wouldn’t be doing this without the support of my family, Ford, my dealerships, and all my colleagues. The tremendous support I receive both at home and at work truly means the world to me, and I can’t wait to see how the program advances over the next 10 years.”