Amanda Bolton
I am an AACPS: Employee, CAT North
My road to the classroom has been a family affair. As a child I watched my father, Rodney Bolton, teach Auto Refinishing at the Center of Applied Technology North (CAT-N) and became involved with events that were held there such as: SkillsUSA, the annual open house, and the week-long summer camp. It was wonderful to see my dad’s passion for his students and the Auto Refinishing program. But my love for this automotive industry doesn’t stop with my dad. As Director of Collision Repair Test Development for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) the passion and dedication my mom shows for the industry through her contributions to SkillsUSA and her position at ASE has had a huge influence on me.
After 25 years in the classroom my father transitioned into another position within the board of education as an Internship Coach. I decided to apply for the Automotive Refinishing Instructor position that my father held for the past 25 years. As a family we were very excited that I was selected for the position. It is an incredible opportunity to carry on my father’s legacy at CAT-N. I am very proud to say that I am one of the three female Automotive Collision and Refinish Instructors in the US, and the only one that solely teaches Automotive Refinishing.
I don’t think I’d be happy doing anything else. You have to find passion in what you do, and I feel that passion. I enjoy going to work every day. There are always going to be problems in any career you choose, but you have to find the joy in it. If there is no joy, there’s no point.
At a young age, I became interested in cars. When I was in middle school, I would go out to the garage and help my dad with oil changes, brake changes, and general maintenance on vehicles. As the years passed, I became interested in the automotive trade as a career. While attending college, I worked part-time in various positions within the industry. After college I acquired a full time position as a painter’s helper, and transitioned into a position as head painter. I then decided to move into the front office, and became an automotive damage appraiser. When my father decided to change roles I saw my opportunity to take the passion for the automotive industry that my parents instilled in me and pass it along to the students at CAT-N. I am honored to follow in my dad’s footsteps while making my own mark on this awesome industry. It has been an incredible journey and I am very thankful for my parents’ passion, support, and influence along the way. I am looking forward to see where my career as a teacher at CAT-N takes me!
From my dad: “Amanda has taken CAT-N’s automotive refinishing program to the next level and I am very proud of her and her accomplishments. I could not have left the program in better hands” –Rodney Bolton
