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May 11, 2015 | Member News
Two students from Vineland High School will head to The Motor City this June to represent New Jersey against students from all 50 states in the prestigious 2015 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals.
Erick Ovalles and Daniel Sakhan, led by instructor Lou Bramante, won the New Jersey competition on May 7 at Monmouth Mall to earn a spot in the National Finals at Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. June 7-9. There, the duo will compete for millions in scholarship dollars, the opportunity to earn a job shadow experience with Wood Brothers Racing and the possibility of being crowned “America’s Best Student Auto Technicians.”
At the National Finals, Ovalles and Sakhan will have their automotive skills tested with a written exam and timed event. During the competition they will be required to diagnose and repair intentionally installed “bugs” on a Ford vehicle.
The road to the National Finals requires much preparation. To earn their spots, Ovalles and Sakhan needed to successfully complete an online test of their automotive knowledge in January. They then advanced to the New Jersey State Finals, where they competed against other pairs of high school students in a hands-on competition similar to the national finals.
Other schools in state Finals included Millville High School; Gloucester County Institute of Technology; Camden County Institute of Technology-Pennsauken; Bergen County Technical-Paramus; Burlington County Institute of Technology; Hunterdon County Polytech; Ocean County Technical; Old Bridge High School; and Passaic County Technology Institute.
Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills is a nationwide automotive technology competition that offers millions of dollars in scholarships and prizes to high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers as automotive service technicians. Approximately 12,000 students from across the U.S. competed for the chance to represent their school and state in the National Finals. The competition tests students’ automotive knowledge, workmanship and problem-solving abilities. For additional information on the competition, visit http://autoskills.aaa.com/.