One Student’s Journey: From Undecided on a Career to State Champ in Collision Repair Refinishing

05/28/2025 by I-CAR

Less than two years ago, Indiana teen Caleb Freed “didn't know what I wanted to do in life,” just like millions of other high school students. At age 18, Caleb is now in the select and distinguished ranks of SkillsUSA state champions, advancing to the national level of this skilled trades competition for students. Most importantly, Caleb has all his next steps planned to prepare himself for a career as an automotive collision repair refinisher. After completing a two-year technical program at Impact Institute that uses I-CAR® Academy curriculum and his graduation from high school, he heads to Wyoming to study collision repair at WyoTech. He envisions a future where he's “saved enough money to open my own business. My career in auto body can take me anywhere.”

Anyone grappling with indecision may be inspired by Caleb's journey to consider the wide-open and diverse opportunities within collision repair. Caleb has several uncles who are mechanics, who he admires; but his interest in collision repair can be traced to his good work ethic and basic mechanical aptitude he acquired growing up on a farm. These were more than enough to build his collision repair career aspirations on.

As a “farm kid,” Caleb was “always fixing machinery and buildings and stuff. I was the one in the family that got stuck painting everything.” His technique was simple and learned while growing up; his tools just a brush and rattle can. It wasn't until his junior year at Prairie Heights High School, when given the option to register for technical education, that he discovered “painting could actually be done as a career.”

Signing up for collision repair was simply “a no-brainer” rather than a decision based on the strong passion for refinishing Caleb has today. “The first year, I liked it pretty well, and then I really started liking the painting side of class. Getting behind the paint gun was exciting, and it just got more and more fun.”

It was in his second year, when Impact Institute converted from I-CAR's traditional curriculum to I-CAR's Academy program, that Caleb developed champion-level refinishing skills. Time spent on online lessons was shortened, while lab time was expanded for more hands-on learning, which complemented Caleb's internship at Shepherd Chevrolet's collision center. “I like I-CAR Academy a whole lot better. It's easier to follow. You're getting all of the relevant and up-to-date information you need. It's so much faster and a lot more entertaining. The paint prep lessons in Academy taught me all the things I do right now at Shepherd's. I prep all their vehicles' before they go into the booth. I sand them, prep them, mask them up, and make sure they are ready to roll into the booth.”

It's all gelled for Caleb, who just a short while ago felt undecided about his future. A lot of things can lead you to collision repair. For Caleb, it was a career and technical high school program using I-CAR Academy, nurturing educators and mentors who helped coach him for SkillsUSA, an internship that gave him relevant refinishing experience, and last, but not least, years of laying down paint on fencing and buildings on his family farm. He looks forward to a satisfying career after his further hones his skills at WyoTech, and “wherever it takes me, I am ready to go.”