Cars have always been Alexander Kirschenbauer's passion. Growing up in Michigan, he admired his great-grandfather's work in the automotive industry.

"My great-grandpa worked in the Ford plant building Mustangs, and I always thought that was cool," Kirschenbauer said.

He thought a career as an automotive technician would be the next best thing.

When his family moved to the Triangle, he enrolled at East Wake High School and was thrilled to find that his new school offered automotive classes. Recognizing his drive to follow that career path, his guidance counselor introduced him to the associate degree program in Automotive Systems Technology at Wake Tech. The program became even more attractive when he was selected as one of the first five students to receive a scholarship from Advance Auto Parts, one of the nation's largest auto parts retailers, which is headquartered in Raleigh.

The Advance Auto Parts Foundation Future Technicians scholarship provided $5,000 to offset educational and living expenses, as well as a $600 stipend for the tools he would need to start the program.

"The scholarship definitely made my decision easier," Kirschenbauer said. "It really, really helped. It took the stress off paying for school and let me focus on working hard and saving money for more tools that would be necessary for my job."

That's right – his job! Before the semester had even begun, Kirschenbauer was hired as an apprentice by Capital Lincoln of Cary. Employment at a Ford or Lincoln dealership is a requirement of the specialized Ford ASSET program, which teaches skills specific to Ford and Lincoln maintenance.

He would truly be following in his great-grandfather's footsteps!

"I was at school two days a week," he explained, "and at work the other three. I took general education classes online."

That rigorous schedule enabled Kirschenbauer to earn his associate degree, plus several Ford Service Technician Specialist certifications, in two years and transition into full-time employment at Capital Lincoln.

"It's going great," he said. "I'm learning a lot, and every day I do tougher things."

Kirschenbauer says he's extremely grateful to Capital Lincoln of Cary for the confidence they've placed in him and to Advance Auto Parts for the scholarship that jump-started it all.

"With their help, I knew I was meant to go into the automotive field. I can't thank them enough!"