Pub. 5 2016-2017 Issue 1

Spring 2016 21 For many years the New Car Dealers Association San Diego County has sponsored outstanding student techs from Ramona High School, which offers one of the most robust automotive programs in the county. Under the guidance of instructor Robert Grace, students Alexia Hall and Benjamin Lackey were selected to represent San Diego. Preparation for the competition is rigorous, and after being assigned a Subaru Legacy at the NADA Annual Convention, the NCDA paired the Ramona team with local dealer Kearny Mesa Subaru to assist with their hands-on training. The team trained in the evenings on work stations and on Wednesdays at the dealership on an actual vehicle, in addition to visits to the Subaru training center in Fontana. At the competition itself, each two-person student team had to diag- nose and repair a number of pre-assigned problems under a car's hood within an allotted amount of time. Each "bug" correctly repaired is worth a number of points, depending on the level of difficulty. In addition, the students’overall knowledge was tested through a series of written tests prepared by the ASE. When it was all said and done, the Ramona team finished 17th out of 30 teams from across the nation. While it was not quite what the top ten students had hoped for, the pair earned tech school scholarships, and, as instructor Robert Grace explained, “[They] had an amazing experience training and competing. Upon returning to school, both are looked upon as leaders of the shop.” Reach your target audience a ordably. advertise get results DANI GORDEN Advertising Sales 855.747.4003 dani@thenewslinkgroup.com The team trained in the evenings on work stations and on Wednesdays at the dealership on an actual vehicle, in addition to visits to the Subaru training center in Fontana. Both Hall and Lackey intend to pursue automotive tech careers, demonstrating the real-world benefit of the competition. Hall explains, “While I am currently enlisting in the Army, this competition has helped me discover my passion to pursue a career in the automotive industry after the military.” As for Lackey: “I am currently working at Toyota of Poway. I have received two local scholarships to help me pay for my career at Miramar College. I plan on pursuing my career as a technician. In a few days I will be starting the T-ten program at Miramar College.”