Nick Henderson

Triton College student Nick Henderson of Skokie felt honored and grateful to win Best Student Car at the Triton’s annual Car Show held Sunday, April 26.

He said his 2020 Civic Sedan is his pride and joy. The car features a DC Sports drop bar, an intercooler, eibach sway bar, Kicker speakers and an illuminated Honda badge. Beyond its upgrades, he’s given the car a name: Roxanne.   

“My car is named after The Police song ‘Roxanne,’” he said. “The red seats match the theme of the song.” 

Henderson is enrolled in Triton’s Honda Professional Automotive Career Training (PACT) program. The PACT program helps students earn advanced mechanical training specific to Honda and Acura vehicles.

Through the program, students develop master-level mechanical skills, study advanced systems and examine Honda technology. The alternating class schedule allows students to obtain paid internships and earn money while learning.   

This hands-on approach is what drew Henderson to Triton. He said he enrolled specifically for the Honda PACT program because he wanted to learn directly from Honda’s curriculum.

“I currently have a paid internship at a Honda dealer near Skokie,” he said. “I’m working at the same dealership where I purchased my car. This is a full circle moment for me.”

Passionate about cars, Henderson has attended the Car Show for the past three years, but this is the first year that he has placed. He plans to return every year, driven by his commitment to automotive work and his connection to the Triton community.

“My goal is to become an Automotive Service Excellence Master Technician,” he said. “After I gradate from Triton and earn my associate’s degree, I want to be a great mechanic.”