Triplets Share Passion for Cars in Collision Program
It isn’t often you see twins in the same class, but what about triplets?
That’s the case for Depew High School seniors Jason, John and Justin Riederer. For them, seeing each other working on cars in Robert Verso’s collision repair class at Erie 1 BOCES’ Harkness Career & Technical Center is a part of everyday life.
“It’s cool we get to work together; we all kind of do our own thing and we get to know what each of us is good at and what we want to do,” Jason said. “We get to learn from each other.”
The three of them realized they share a passion for cars in middle school, when their older brother Eric enrolled in the same Erie 1 BOCES program they are in today. Eric has worked for Transitowne Dodge as a technician for about two years, and Justin recently got to work with him as part of a summer internship.
“When our brother was in the program, we found it was fun and something cool to do,” John noted. “He definitely got us interested in Mr. Verso’s class.”
Verso said he has enjoyed having all four of the Riederer brothers in his class. He added he can tell the triplets enjoy working in the shop and becoming familiar with the technology.
“They are really great kids and I think they have bright futures ahead of them,” he said.
The Collision Repair program at Erie 1 BOCES teaches topics such as non-structural and structural repair, metal inert gas welding, painting, refinishing and detailing. Students participate in an immersive preapprentice experience, which includes job shadowing, paid summer internships and guaranteed job interviews, thanks to a number of local business partners.
“If you’re a hands-on learner, this is a great program,” Justin pointed out. “It’s fun working on beat-up parts and making them brand new again. The knowledge comes in handy too if you’re ever in an accident or your car gets damaged. You know exactly what you need.”
“I recommend this program because it hones your knowledge, and there’s great teachers and equipment,” John said. “There’s a lot I never knew about that you get the hang of once you learn it in class.”
After graduating, the triplets plan to continue in the collision repair field. Jason will continue his education at SUNY Erie Community College, while John plans on entering the workforce right away at a local dealership and Justin aims to start his own small shop.