A student at Ohio Technical College, Jonathon Miranda, has won the TechForce Foundation FutureTechs Rock grand prize scholarship. Nine others were finalists for the award.
“Throughout his 18-month automotive program, Jonathon has maintained perfect attendance, achieved honor roll six times, and earned all A’s in his associate degree academic classes, which are separate from his technical coursework,” TechForce said in its announcement.
“Jonathon is a member of his school’s Student Leadership Council, where he serves as a role model and mentor, welcomes new students to campus, and volunteers for on-campus events. He also volunteers as a judge with Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, SEMA, and as lead judge for Piston Power Show’s high school engine building competition.”
Miranda won his choice of a $1,000 tuition scholarship to apply toward post-secondary technician education or a voucher from Snap-on for tools of that same value.
“The FutureTech Rock Awards recognize and celebrate students’ commitment to and passion for the technician profession and the transportation industry,” TechForce said in its news release. “With the U.S. only graduating approximately 57,000 technician students each year while the workforce need is 120,000 new entrant techs per year just to keep up with demand, the technician shortage is real and emphasizes how valuable each one of these students is to our country’s transportation industry.”
Others finalists were high school students Ryan Adkins from Ohio and Noah Salo from Montana, Angelle Vanderwarf from Illinois, and Felyciti Alvarez from California, Aaron Smith from Pennsylvania, and Wyatt Mote of North Carolina as well as Antonio Yepez Cervantes of Ventura College in California, Liam Thompson of Delgado Community College, in New Orleans and Riley Prince of Gateway Community College in Arizona.
More than 160 students were nominated for the TechForce scholarship program.
TechForce Foundation encourages technical education and professional transportation technician careers.