WIX Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products, has named Bullard-Havens Technical High School the 2018 School of the Year.

Roxanne Amiot, automotive department head and instructor, accepted the award on behalf of the school during the WIX Filters and Babcox Media Night of Excellence awards dinner on Oct. 29  during the 2018 AAPEX Show in Las Vegas.

Based in Bridgeport, Conn., Bullard-Havens Technical High School is the 11th recipient of the annual program, naming it the best technical training school in the country. WIX and O’Reilly Auto Parts are title sponsors of the national award in conjunction with Tomorrow’s Tech, a Babcox Media publication dedicated to automotive students.

“This year, the drive and dedication of Bullard-Havens Technical High School stood out among the competition,” said Jennifer Gibson, brand manager for WIX Filters. “This is a school that’s passionate about providing a well-rounded technical education for its students. Through internship opportunities and state-of-the-art equipment for learning, students graduate from Bullard-Havens ready to begin a successful career in the industry.”

As the 2018 School of the Year, Bullard-Havens Technical High School will receive:

• $5,000 donation to the school’s automotive technology program from WIX Filters;
• Merchandise from O’Reilly and WIX Filters; and
• Travel for the school’s instructor and a guest to Las Vegas to attend Babcox Media’s recognition dinner.

“It is so awesome for the school and our students to achieve recognition out of the entire nation for our automotive technology program,” said Amiot. “This award shows that all our hard work in difficult times is so important. Thanks to Babcox, WIX and O’Reilly for recognizing our program throughout the years and promoting our auto trade and tech education.”

The School of the Year program is open to all high schools and post-secondary schools with a subscription to Tomorrow’s Tech magazine. Of the 221 entries for this year’s contest, 91 were from different high schools, technical schools and colleges in four regions of the United States. The top 20 schools were asked to submit a video highlighting their technical programs and judges selected four finalists, or one from each region, from the video entries.

“A strong technical training program is incredibly valuable not only to the students but also the industry as a whole, which is why we are thrilled to once again sponsor this competition,” said Jim Merle, publisher of Tomorrow’s Tech. “In previous years, we have been impressed by the submissions for the competition and this year was no exception. Bullard-Havens Technical High School showed an exceptional automotive program and opportunities for their students.”

This year’s three runners-up are: Satellite High School, Satellite Beach, Fla; North Kansas City Schools – Career and Technical Education Center, Kansas City, Mo; and Bonneville High School, Ogden, Utah. Each runner-up will receive a professional automotive tool set and $250 gift card from O’Reilly Auto Parts.

For more information, please visit tomorrowstechnician.com/tomorrows-tech-school-of-the-year/.