“The Coventry Foundation’s scholarship program has funded another student – its fourth – at Penn College. The recipient of this year’s support is Allison Hoch, a Restoration Arts undergrad who has been making an impression on the staff and fellow students with her can-do approach and keen eye for detail.” (Jaguar Journal, May 2021)

Allison had this to say:

“Growing up around cars, going to car shows with my family, and spending lots of time at the drag strip, my passion for cars came naturally – I knew I wanted to make it into a career. Starting at a vocational-technical school in high school, Berks Career and Technology Center, I began my journey in Collision Repair Technology. I wanted to take my education further and since I have been looking forward to attending Penn College for years, I decided to apply for the Restoration Program. Influenced by my brother, who is now an alumnus of Penn College, I toured the school many times and came to every family weekend when he was a student. My father and I always went to the restoration and collision lab, where we would look at what cars they had that year. We would also do some of the restoration activities, such as airbrushing and the virtual reality paint system, but every visit left me wanting more.”

“Going into the program I was eager to learn about old cars and the evolution of automobiles, metal fabrication, painting skills such as pin-striping and airbrushing effects, upholstery and the study abroad trip to Italy that I am looking forward to attending. Bodywork and painting are my strong suit, so once engines and the electrics came in to play, it was quite challenging, but I am glad that I pushed through because it has made me more versatile. As I get closer to stepping out into the real world, I realize that my passion in this field is focused more on painting. I have always been a creative person and seeing the range and variety of each color made me realize all of the different possibilities that can apply to any normal or custom paint job.”

“With graduation coming up soon, now is the time to think about jobs. My dream is to hopefully go out west to Colorado or Utah to find employment. After visiting those states and a couple other western states with my grandparents, I fell in love with the scenery and all of the different options for adventures out there. Along with this, after a couple of years in the restoration field, I want to eventually open up my own shop. With the encouragement of my mom and dad, I am trying my absolute best to make this dream a reality. Thank you so much for this scholarship! It has helped me continue this fantastic opportunity of learning at Penn College.”