Pub. 2 2014 Issue 4

Spring 2014 29 C ongratulations to Ramona High School seniors, Brandon Arthur and Dylan Ballantyne, and their instructor, Mike Jordan, who recently competed in the prestigious National Automotive Technology Competition and took 2nd place! NCDA San Diego has sponsored the Ramona High School team since 1996. The competition was held during the 2014 New York International Auto Show from April 21-23. There are 30 teams that compete from around the country, and this is Ramona High’s third top 10 finish in a row. Every year, the NCDA is assigned the competition vehicle 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, Nissan, and Chevrolet. This year, the students competed with a Toyota. 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. Toyota of El Cajon graciously donated a 2014 Toyota Corolla for the students to work on. They also provided a master tech and training equipment prior to the competition which definitely gave them a leg up in their training Jordan, the automotive instructor, created the first Ramona High automotive team in 1996, sponsored by NCDA San Diego. He continued to do it for seven years until retirement, then came back to help this year. Each year, typically 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, the instructor and students spend several hours every day preparing for New York. They practice many days after school, on weekends, evenings, spring break, and a lot of Saturdays and Sundays. Students are trained in all ASE areas, breaks, suspension, engine performance and repair, manual and automatic transmission, and so on. They learn many lessons while preparing for the National Competition, not only automotive skills, but how to become successful citizens. As 2nd place winners, Ramona High School was awarded a Megatech Corporation $1,000 rebate towards a Megatech training purchase and a free in-service training package. Arthur and Ballantyne were awarded a $20,000 scholarship to the Automotive Training Center, a $17,500 scholarship to Ohio Technical College, a $12,500 scholarship to Universal Technical Institute, a $10,000 scholarship to University of Northwestern Ohio, and a $1,500 scholarship to New England Institute of Technology, as well several tool kits, gift bags, and the GNYADA National Competition Second Place Silver Medallion. As instructor, Jordan was awarded the silver medallion, and several tool kits and gift bags. As the sponsor, NCDA has also been awarded the silver medallion. Isn’t It tIme you had a fully - loaded certIfIed publIc accountIng fIrm? We have been steering San Diego businesses in the right direction since 1946. • Accounting Support & Financial Analysis • Corporate & Individual Tax Planning • Estate Planning & Business Continuation • Management Consultation • Audit & Review Services • Assistance in Tax Audits • Retirement & Pension Plans • Finance & Business Planning For a free evaluation of your current accounting program, please contact Philip Smith at (619) 231-1977 2014 National Automotive Technology Competition Ramona High School Seniors Take 2nd Place as Team Toyota