Meet a Young Technician: Kaydan Duval

Kaydan Duval doesn't just study automotive technology; he lives it completely. This Manchester Community College student works full-time fixing cars, modifies his own vehicles, helps family members build show cars, and even buys non-running vehicles just to diagnose and repair them. For someone who struggled with traditional schooling, the Ford ASSET program has transformed his relationship with learning by making it practical, hands-on, and connected to what he genuinely loves.

Motor Age is partnering with TechForce Foundation to share profiles and perspectives of student automotive technicians. These students were asked about their experience working while in school.

For Kaydan, automotive work isn't compartmentalized into "school" and "job”; it's the thread that runs through everything. "Fixing cars has become my life," he explains. "I go to school to fix cars, I work fixing cars, I fix family's cars, modify my own, and have family that makes show cars that I help with from time to time. It surrounds me every day."

That immersion extends to his formal education through the Ford ASSET program at Manchester Community College. The program represents a different model of technical training, one that integrates classroom learning with full-time employment. "It is an amazing program, and I have a great teacher too," Kaydan notes. "The program has you work full 40-hour weeks to make sure you not only get knowledge from school, but the on-the-job experience as well."

The Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) program is designed for students who learn best by doing. Students alternate between classroom instruction and paid employment at Ford dealerships, earning while they learn and graduating with both a degree and substantial professional experience.

For Kaydan, the approach makes all the difference. "For someone who hates the normal public school system, changing to college and this program gives me a different perspective on learning. They make it fun, enjoyable, but best of yet practical." That shift from abstract academics to applied skills transforms education from something to endure into something that builds tangible capabilities.

His learning doesn't stop when the workday ends. Kaydan actively seeks out automotive challenges, including projects that would intimidate many experienced technicians. "Even without school, I find ways to learn about cars like the time I bought a non-running 2004 Porsche Cayenne to fix it up," he shares. Purchasing a broken luxury SUV known for complex systems just to diagnose and repair it demonstrates both confidence and genuine curiosity.

His personal vehicle modifications show similar hands-on engagement. He describes working on his Golf hatchback: "changing out the downpipe, intercooler, exhaust, intake, and a lot more." These aren't simple bolt-on upgrades - they require understanding airflow, boost pressure, heat management, and how different components interact to affect performance. Each modification becomes a practical lesson in automotive engineering.

The combination of formal training, full-time work, and personal builds creates multiple learning channels that reinforce each other. Classroom theory, professional techniques, and hands-on experience blend into continuous skill development that serves him across all these environments.

His involvement with family members who build show cars adds another dimension - exposing him to custom fabrication, restoration techniques, and the high standards required when vehicles will be judged by experts.

What emerges from Kaydan's description is someone who has found genuine purpose in his work. "The whole automotive experience just fills me with joy and meaning," he explains. That sense of meaning, the feeling that your work matters and aligns with who you are, is what separates a job from a calling.

The Ford ASSET program structure serves students like Kaydan well by recognizing that some people learn best through application. Working 40-hour weeks while attending classes develops professional habits, customer service skills, and real diagnostic experience that pure classroom education cannot provide.

Kaydan's story illustrates how technical education succeeds when it meets students where they are. For someone who struggled with traditional schooling, finding a program that values practical skills changed everything. His enthusiasm for fixing cars and tackling challenging projects doesn't need to be created; it just needs to be channeled through quality training.

As he continues through the ASSET program, Kaydan is building more than technical skills—he's developing the foundation for a career that matches his interests and abilities. His willingness to work full-time while learning and to seek out challenging projects demonstrates the dedication that builds master technicians.

TechForce receives more than 12,000 applications from students with deep financial need each year. In 2025 alone, TechForce awarded more than $6 million in scholarships and grants. While this is an impressive sum of awards, it's still only awarding 1 in every 7 applicants. We need more donations to help more students obtain the technical training required to be workforce ready. #motorage