Hackett, Greenwood students take top prizes

Josh Christensen of Hackett (right) and Jullian Branham of Greenwood (below) scored highest in the state on the written part of the finals of the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Quality Care Challenge competition. Branham and Christenson are enrolled in the Western Arkansas Technical Center at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

Although they ranked eighth in the hands-on category at the event, the two had the highest combined written test scores out of 1,400 students in Arkansas and were awarded individual and first place team trophy for their accomplishment, according WATC Director Roy Hester.

Christensen is a senior at Hackett High School, and Branham is a senior at Greenwood High School. They were awarded $1,500 scholarships, trophies, jackets, polo shirts, caps and ties, along with several tools for their future careers in the automotive technology field.