Austin Bernsen is an Automotive Service Technology II student who turned his interest in hands-on, problem-solving work into a paid internship. Bernsen, a senior at Albemarle High School, has parlayed his CATEC classwork into work at Price Kia. In the morning he takes challenging classes like physics and calculus at AHS and in the afternoon he interns at Price Kia. His internship runs Tuesday-Friday 1pm-5pm and he attends CATEC in-person on Mondays. At Price Kia, he works with the lead engine technician repairing and replacing engines. He spends his spare time participating in AHS’s Mountain Biking Club, which he has been a part of since his freshman year. Bernsen participates in competitive races against other schools in Virginia. When he graduates from high school spring 2022, he hopes to attend college to study engineering at a school like Virginia Tech. He can roll his 25 Auto Service Technology college credits from Reynolds Community College into his studies there, setting him off on an educational path that saves him time and money.