Pub. 1 2013 Issue 4

14 San Diego Dealer NCDA Sponsors High School Team at the National Automotive Tech Competition C ongratulations to Ramona High School seniors, AndrewHankins and Tyler Pavlick, and their instructor, Mike Saavedra, who recently competed in the prestigious National Automotive Technology Competition in New York. The New Car Dealers Association® SanDiegoCounty (NCDA) sponsored the Ramona High School team. The competition was held during the 2013 NewYork International Auto Show from April 1-3. Of the 30 teams competing from around the country, Hankins and Pavlick finished in 8th place. This is Ramona High’s second top 10 finish in a row. Ever y year, the NCDA is assigned the competition vehi- cle at the National Automobile Dealers Association Annual Convention. Ramona High has had the opportunity to work on several different cars, including Buick, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan. This year, the students com- peted with a Chevrolet. The competition began with a list of problems and trouble-shoots for which they had three hours to properly identify and correct. Work stations included engine measurements, electrical, emissions and so on. In the weeks before the competition, Hankins and Pavlick had the use of the multiple award-winning Chevrolet Cruze, thanks to dealership owner Joe Herold and General Manager Brian Axford of Quality Chevrolet “Our school was heavily involved in automotive competitions around the county at the time, so we decided we were ready for the national competition.” who generously provided the practice vehicle. Without their donation (for the second year in row), the students would not have been able to familiarize themselves with the car. “Ramona has one of the highest rated local auto programs and we have worked with a number of their graduating students,” said Axford. “We want to do our part in supporting a program that is working hard to build up students who have a passion to be in our industry. The best automotive diagnostic and repair technicians are highly sought after and can earn a very good wage in any economic condition.” Saavedra, the automotive instructor at Ramona High, has been training students for the competition for four years. “The national competition requires a tremendous amount of dedication for both the instructor and the students,”said Saavedra.“My favorite saying is ‘Train, train, don’t complain.’” Each year, he typically has 6-8 students apply to be a part of the team. Before students are selected to compete for Ramona High, they have to complete several lab assignments, as well as a written and hands on exam, similar to an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) exam, to see if they have the skill set for nationals. Once the team is chosen and the competition vehicle is picked, Saavedra and his two students spend By Shauna Guerrero