Michael Mullen

Competitor in Skill: Automobile Technology
Country: United States of America

How did you get interested in your skill?
I grew up working on engines with my dad and have always been mechanically inclined. When I was a sophomore at San Luis Obispo High School, I took auto shop for the first time and by the time I had graduated I had taken every auto class our school offered.

Where did you do your training for your skill?
I did the majority of my training during my last three years at San Luis Obispo High School. After high school I attended Eberhard-Ludwigs Gymnasium in Stuttgart, Germany for one year as an exchange student and interned for BMW outside of Stuttgart. After that year I attended Cuesta Community College to study mechanical engineering while working at Rizzoli’s automotive repair shop. To train specifically for the WorldSkills Competitions, I trained at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.

How did you first find out about your Member organization and its programs?
My high school had a SkillsUSA chapter and my instructor urged me to compete in Automotive Service Technology.

Who influenced you to pursue your skill as a career?
My high school automotive instructor Jeff Lehmkuhl inspired me the most to pursue a career in the automotive field. Not only did his enthusiasm and drive motivate me to do my best in school but his work ethic and generosity gave me an example to strive for.

What is your experience in participating with your Member organization?
I have had an amazing time being able to compete at regional, state and national levels through SkillsUSA, as well as serving as California state college president. I made a lot of friends from all over my state and the country. SkillsUSA not only motivated me to excel at my skill but also gave me a place to help further my professional and public speaking skills.

Describe your most memorable moment so far with WorldSkills?
My most memorable experience was winning a silver medal at WorldSkills Americas and getting to visit Bogota, Colombia. I enjoyed visiting Bogota and partaking in the One School One Country program was an experience I will never forget. Then to finish with a silver medal in Auto Service was really amazing. I was the only competitor who spoke English so I couldn’t gauge how everyone else thought they did. So I was really ecstatic when my name was called for silver.

Describe what your experience has been since your involvement with WorldSkills.
WorldSkills has literally opened the world to me. I never imagined being able to travel to Colombia and Brazil to represent the USA. Through WorldSkills, I have strengthened friendships within my own country, expanded my world view with new friends from other countries, and received training that will put me on the forefront of my profession.

Did participating in the skills competitions and training for WorldSkills help you progress in your skill? Please describe.
I think that competing and training in WorldSkills did help me progress in my automotive skills because it really motivated me to keep learning by making me competitive with other people and not just myself. I also received a lot of specialized training for WorldSkills which I otherwise would never have received.

What do you currently do? Where do you work?
I am currently a full time student studying mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, CA and work part-time at the San Luis Obispo YMCA.

What are your future career aspirations?
My goal is to continue with my education and earn a Masters or PHD in Engineering and eventually to work as an engineer in the automotive or aerospace industry. I can also see myself teaching at the university level some day.