During the recent April SkillsUSA Idaho competition, Idaho Falls High School senior Mason Tomlinson had already started preparing for disappointment after not hearing his name called among his event’s third and second place winners.

“I didn’t hear my name called for third or second so I thought I didn’t get up there (for awards) but then they called me for first,” Tomlinson said. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done and I couldn’t believe this actually happened.”

Tomlinson couldn’t stop his hands from shaking in disbelief after being announced as the first-place winner, which means he will represent Idaho at the SkillsUSA National Competition from June 20 to June 24 in Atlanta. He will compete in the automobile maintenance and light repair contest in June, where he will perform hands-on activities including part identification and live diagnostics on a “pre-bugged” vehicle.

“The furthest I’ve ever been from Idaho Falls is St. George, Utah. I’ve never been on a plane so I’m excited for it,” Tomlinson said.

SkillsUSA is a United States career and technical student organization that serves more than 390,000 students and instructors annually, according to the organization’s website. It was founded in 1965 and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor as a successful model of employer-driven workforce development.

This is the second year in a row a student from Idaho Falls High School is representing Idaho at the national competition. Carter Meyers won the national competition in automotive service technology last year.

Idaho Falls School District 91 Superintendent Jim Shank said the recently remodeled auto shop at Idaho Falls High School, run by Jeremy Bird, is designed to look like what a student will experience in the workforce. In addition to learning industry skills, students can also obtain certifications to help them find a job while attending school.

Shank credited Bird for the success of the auto program and for students he’s taught. He said Tomlinson is an example of the types of opportunities district officials hope to help students obtain through the career and technical education program.

Tomlinson’s experience with District 91’s auto program helped him land a job in December 2021 at Ron’s Tire and Motorsports in Idaho Falls. He used the skills he’s learned to rebuild the engine for his 1992 Toyota pickup, a six-week project Tomlinson finished earlier this month, he said.

After graduation, Tomlinson plans to briefly work full-time at Ron’s before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November, he said. Once he returns, he plans to enroll at Brigham Young University-Idaho and major in automotive technology management.

“Mason’s pretty prepared to not only do the things that he’ll compete for, but I think he’s laid a great foundation for his future success,” Shank said. “Not only are we proud of his work, but we’re proud of Mr. Bird and the things that he’s doing and all the teachers that Mason’s had a chance to get to work with.”

District 91 will soon open a career and technical education center at the start of the 2022-2023 school year this fall, which will house all career and technical education programs except for the auto program.