JOHN BISSET/Things
Timaru’s Alysia Patterson said she was blown away when she won the award.
A Timaru woman with a passion for automobiles has just been recognized in a nationwide award for the automotive industry’s preeminent apprentice finish.
Alysia Patterson, 24, was named the joint winner of the Collision Repair Association’s joint Golden Gun Apprentice of the Year award about two months ago, but didn’t get her award until Wednesday.
“I was overwhelmed, amazed and very surprised.
“The award was for the best student in all of New Zealand, and it’s crazy to know I was up there,” Patterson said.
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Patterson, a former apprentice at Brown and Shipman, in Timaru, now works for the company as a bodyshop.
Patterson said she felt “very nervous” about applying for the award.
“I know there are a lot of good people who have applied for it, and it was good to know I was up there with the others.”
She said Brown and Shipman had been supportive of her all along and that they hired her when she knew nothing about the trade.
JOHN BISSET/Things
Alysia Patterson said her employer Brown and Shipman had supported her all the way through her internship and applying for the award.
Patterson said she believes her initiative and confidence helped her win the award.
“I’m pushing myself,” she said.
She said there were a number of aspects to the selection process.
“First I had to send pictures of previous awards and achievements. Then I had to get references from my Mito instructor (automotive training organization) and the paint company, and then there was a phone interview.”
The award also gives Patterson a Mito grant, $1000 in cash, $1000 in tools and a mysterious outing with Air New Zealand.
Patterson, who completed level 3 and 4 apprenticeships with Brown and Shipman, said she will use the scholarship to pursue a career in business management or pursue the next level in automotive refinishing.
JOHN BISSET/STUFF
Apprentice bodyshop Alysia Patterson modified her 1990 Nissan Silvia and won four awards with the 4 and Rotary champs in Timaru.
In 2020, Patterson won best wheels, body kit, paint and driver attitude in the Tough Street category for her 1990 Nissan Silvia at the three-day 4 and Rotary champs event in Timaru, which drew approximately 8,000 spectators and 700 modified cars.
The judges commented on Patterson’s attention to detail as they presented her four trophies at the event.
She worked on her car from March 2020 lockdown to August of that year, cutting open the rear fenders to fit the wide body, repairing dents and repainting it.
JOHN BISSET/Things
Alysia Patterson won four awards in 2020 for her 1990 Nissan Silvia.