Nick Lockie enrolled at Dunwoody because the College offered exactly what he wanted: automotive service training with the opportunity to also do specialized training as part of the department’s partnership with Audi.
Lockie had always liked doing things with his hands, but during high school at Regis Catholic in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which included some dual enrollment courses (where students can take college classes and earn both college and high school credit), he decided he wanted to become an automotive repair technician and landed a job at Audi of Eau Claire towards the end of his senior year.
Assistant Professor Jason Emrick, said, “I was Nick’s drive train instructor and from the first day of class I could tell he was someone who really wanted to learn as much as he could, not simply pass the class. He brought a level of curiosity to our classroom presentations that elevated the discussion and helped engage the rest of his class.”
Emrick also noted that Lockie’s lab work “was always of excellent quality and he was willing to take on additional or more difficult activities.”
For his excellence in the classroom, Lockie was selected as an Academic Excellence Award recipient this year.
Lockie credits his parents as his inspiration and for them teaching him not to procrastinate and get projects done on time. But a major part of his success is his genuine enthusiasm for and curiosity about the industry. His instructors noted that he asked good, detailed questions — sometimes even going into areas they didn’t know the answers to off the top of their head.
At heart, this passion revolves around his interest in Audi vehicles.
“I was always interested in them since I was young,” he said. “I’ve always liked their styling and the history of their racing background.”
Which is why it comes as no surprise that the classroom project he’s most proud of is the disassembly of an Audi dual-clutch transmission. This type of transmission uses two clutches — one for odd gears and one for even gears — which allows for fast and smooth gear changes and is essential to the sporty experience of driving an Audi.
His work on this project will now serve as a leaning prop for future classes.
Lockie plans to continue to work as a Technician at Audi of Eau Claire after graduation and hopes to eventually open his own auto repair business.