BACK TO SCHOOL: Barrett-Jackson Provides Scholarships For Restoration Tech Degrees
August 29, 2022
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Nicole Ellan James
Craig Jackson engaging with McPherson students.
As August comes to a close, classrooms are once again filling up. For more than 20 years Barrett-Jackson has helped students from across the country continue their education with scholarships that aim to expand the field of automotive restoration with new talent from the Restoration Technology program at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas.
The college was founded more than 130 years ago as a liberal arts institution focused on career-oriented education. The Restoration Technology program became an area of study in 1976 after local businessman Gaines H. “Smokey” Billue donated more than 125 antique and classic cars.
McPherson stands as the only college in the United States to offer a 4-year bachelor’s degree in Restoration Technology with five areas of study: Automotive Restoration Technology, Automotive Restoration Management, Historic Automotive Technology, Automotive Restoration Design and Automotive Communications. Students are taught by faculty that are experts in engines, sheet metal, chassis, paint, trim, electric systems, assembly and woodworking.
The program is well-known and supported by many figures in the collector car community. In 1999, Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson joined the program’s advisory board, a role he continued for nearly a decade. Jackson also established the Russ Jackson Memorial Scholarship and Brian Jackson Memorial Scholarship at the college to honor his father, Russ, and brother, Brian.
In 2018 Jackson announced he would be establishing another scholarship at the college: this one to be earmarked for female students in the automotive restoration program to honor his mother, Nellie Jackson. Nellie served as Executive Director of Barrett-Jackson and the first female Regional Director of the Classic Cars Club of America. Her passion for automobiles was a driving force behind the company’s evolution into the world’s leading collector car auction company. She would undoubtedly be thrilled to see increasing numbers of women becoming as passionate about the collector car world as she was.
The Nellie Jackson Scholarship recipient for the last two school years, starting in 2020, was Jackie Gullion. Gullion has served as president of C.A.R.S. Club, the student organization for auto restoration, and a member of Rogue Writers, the creative writing club on campus. Through Rogue Writers and encouragement from professors, she gained the confidence to start collecting enough work for a book. She pursued a minor in writing and the title of her first book, “Nuts & Bolts,” was published earlier this year. Gullion believes every automobile has a story to tell, and said “classic car collectors are important because they preserve not only the vehicles but the stories that are attached to them.”
Over the years, a number of cars have made their way across the Barrett-Jackson auction block to benefit McPherson, including a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door sedan, 1956 Ford Thunderbird convertible, 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible, 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS convertible and a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette convertible.
Barrett-Jackson not only provides resources for students to receive Restoration Tech degrees, the collector car auction company has also brought students and graduates of the program on board its team as interns.
“It is important to me and the industry to give young people a chance to learn these skills,” said Craig Jackson, Barrett-Jackson chairman and CEO. “I am proud we can provide opportunities for the restoration tech program to grow and add new people to the profession.”
As students of all ages make their way back to school, Barrett-Jackson is proud to contribute to the education of the next generation of automotive restorers and builders who will mark the future of the collector car hobby.
BARRETT-JACKSON INTERN: Meet Aidan Sharkey From McPherson College
Written by Nicole Ellan James
From left to right: Jason Aker, Aidan Sharkey, Brian Horstmann, Craig Jackson, Derek Ferreira and Terry Edwards.
Aidan Sharkey is an Automotive Restoration Design major about to start his senior year at McPherson College — he has spent his last two summers and winter break as an intern at Barrett-Jackson. A majority of Sharkey’s internship has been spent in the garage with the Barrett-Jackson Builds Team learning hands-on, and one-on-one, with Brian Horstmann, the in-house restoration painter.
“It is rewarding to me that our interns want to return semester after semester,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “It has been enjoyable to see our master painter pass along these skills to such an eager intern. It is important that we teach the next generation these skills for the health and longevity of our hobby.”
Sharkey said working with Horstmann has been rewarding, “I’ve been able to go through every single step of the paint process, hands on, with literally one of the best painters in the country.” He added working with the Builds Team has been an eye-opening experience because he has been able to work with some of the top pros in the entire country.
“There isn’t another place like this where you get to work so closely with a team of five other people who have such incredible experience,” Sharkey said. He added, “Aside from that, I got to go to the auction in Las Vegas this summer. It was great, I loved it and it was really the biggest car event I’ve ever seen.”
Sharkey shared that prior to his experience at Barrett-Jackson he had seen the auctions on TV a few times but hadn’t really understood the full scope of everything that goes on during the event.
During the 2022 Las Vegas Auction, Sharkey worked with the Mechanics Team. “I got to learn a lot at the auction. I was exposed to many things I’ve never seen — it was a rapid-fire education and I left with an entirely new set of skills.”
As Sharkey heads back to school, he already has plans to join Barrett-Jackson for the 2022 Houston Auction, October 20-22 at NRG Center, which happens to be during his fall break.
For those interested in an internship with Barrett-Jackson, view Employment Opportunities on the Barrett-Jackson website and apply via the internship listing.