Jordan Hock

If you’ve ever seen the Velocity TV show “Overhaulin” and watched car designer Chip Foose and his team remake mundane cars into someone’s dream machine, close your eyes, fast forward a decade or two, and imagine the same show with the star wearing a Pirate T-shirt.

That star would be Jordan Hock, who plans to turn his East Carolina University scholarship into a career designing and building cars.

“Cars are my passion, my inspiration and a large part of my life,” says the Franklin Academy senior. He’s coming to ECU in August as an EC Scholar with plans to earn degrees in mechanical engineering and fine arts. He’s the son of Lisa and David Hock of Franklinton.

EC Scholars is the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Recipients receive an Honors College scholarship for four years, along with a stipend for study abroad, for a total value of $62,000.

Hock believes being an EC scholar will propel him into a rewarding career in the car industry.

“It (being an EC Scholar) means that all my hard work for four long years has paid off,” he said.

Before he steps on campus, Hock has a busy summer ahead, full of activities centered on his passion for cars. He plans to work part time to help fund his work on the 1999 Mustang that he’s transforming from a routine car into a pavement-hugging performance machine.

In addition, he said, he plans to start a business he’s calling Goliath Customs that creates and installs custom products for vehicles. He also wants to create custom car portraits for clients through the Goliath Customs brand.

“Other than that, I am going to try to enjoy my first full-length summer ever,” he said.

Looking ahead to the study abroad aspect of his scholarship, Hock plans to build that around his career goals. He says he will look for auto-related opportunities in Germany, Italy or Japan – countries where some of the world’s great performance cars are built, such as his dream car, the Nissan GT-R.

“After graduation, I hope to work for an American manufacturer – GM, Ford, Chrysler – for several years, either as an engineer or a designer, while, at the same time, I attempt to get my MFA in industrial design (with a concentration in automotive design) at an art college,” he said.

After that, scroll through your channel guide to find “Goliath Customs” to see what unique designs he’ll come up with next.

“It means that all my hard work for four long years has paid off, and I can now pursue what I want to pursue.”

High school:  Franklin Academy

Intended major:  Mechanical engineering/fine arts dual degree

Hometown: Franklinton