Bristol-Plymouth student Nick Hall, left, helped present 1983 B-P graduate Steven Crombie, center, with a specialized car sign today at the school’s CAD/CAM shop. Also pictured is CAD/CAM instructor Mike Rose, who oversaw the project. (Photo courtesy Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School) 
Bristol-Plymouth student Nick Hall explains the process he used to create the customized sign. (Photo courtesy Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School) 
From left, Superintendent-Director Dr. Alexandre Magalhaes, Bristol-Plymouth student Nick Hall, B-P graduate Steven Crombie, CAD/CAM instructor Mike Rose, and Principal Karen Guenette. (Photo courtesy Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School) 
The sign made for B-P graduate Steven Crombie, featuring an image of his 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. (Photo courtesy Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School)
TAUNTON — Superintendent-Director Dr. Alexandre Magalhaes, Principal Karen Guenette and Vocational Technical Coordinator Jackie Machamer are pleased to announce that a graduate of Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School was presented with a special prize today, some 36 years after winning a contest at the school.
Steven Crombie, a 1983 graduate from Bristol-Plymouth’s Carpentry program, was gifted a customized car sign during a presentation at the school today, Wednesday, May 25.
A lover of classic automobiles, Crombie entered the school’s annual car show in 1986 with his GMC Jimmy truck. He won first place in the show, and won a voucher to have the school’s Painting and Decorating department make a customized sign for the vehicle.
The voucher was never redeemed, but remained in Crombie’s possession all this time. Earlier this year when he was going through a box of family photos, he came across an envelope from the school and recognized it right away.
The envelope was quite faded from the passage of time, but its original contents were all still intact. The front featured the name of former Bristol Plymouth Assistant Superintendent/Director John C. Correia, and inside was Crombie’s award.
“I had no idea what they were going to say, but I figured I would take a chance and reach out and see if I could redeem it all these years later,” Crombie said. “They were immediately interested and asked me exactly what I wanted for the sign. It all came together just like that.”
While Crombie no longer has his old GMC Jimmy, he is currently in the process of building a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air almost from scratch. The sign that was made features an image of the vehicle with the words “Bel Air,” which Crombie intends to bring with him to car shows once the vehicle is complete.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way the sign came out,” Crombie said. “Working with the school was so smooth and easy. I can’t wait to show off the sign when I take this new car to shows.”
The sign was made by Nick Hall (of Berkley, Class of 2022), a student in Bristol-Plymouth’s CAD/CAM program — which is a program that didn’t even exist in 1986 when Crombie won the award. He made the sign under the direction of CAD/CAM instructor Mike Rose.
During the presentation, which took place in the CAD/CAM shop, Hall explained how he used the school’s specialized laser printer to create the sign, and how he worked with Rose to refine the design several times to make sure he got it just right.
“CAD/CAM students work on plaques and signs like this all the time, so it was something Nick was very familiar with and was comfortable making,” Machamer said. “Vocational education is all about problem-solving and refining your skills, and it always means something extra whenever a student can see directly who their work goes to and meet the person receiving it. That’s why it was so great for Nick to be able to help present Mr. Crombie with this award and explain his process for making the sign.”
Crombie has stayed involved with Bristol-Plymouth over the years, having put two children through the school. His son, Alexander, graduated from the Computer Network Technologies program in 2016, and his daughter, Valerie, graduated from the CAD/CAM program in 2018.
“We’re lifelong supporters of B-P and the value of the education students here get,” Crombie said. “I can’t say enough good things about this school, and this is just the latest example of that. Both my kids are still working in their trades and doing quite well, and it’s thanks in large part to the education they got here.”
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