SEMA, HROT Volunteer Wins FutureTechs Award
Jonathon Miranda was named the grand prize winner of TechForce Foundation’s FutureTechs Rock Awards. Miranda is an automotive student attending Ohio Technical College, a post-secondary technical school in Cleveland, Ohio.
Throughout his 18-month automotive program, Miranda maintained perfect attendance, achieved honor roll six times, and earned straight-A’s in his associate degree academic classes, which are separate from his technical coursework.
Miranda 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 for Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, SEMA, and as lead judge for Piston Power Show’s high school engine building competition.
During the week of April 8 People’s Choice voting period, TechForce followers cast more than 25,000 votes among 10 national finalists, who were selected among more than 160 nominees by a panel of judges to represent the different segments of the technician profession: automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, motorsports, and machining. Miranda secured the largest number of votes, making him the grand prize winner and earning his choice between a $1,000 TechForce Foundation tuition scholarship to apply toward his post-secondary technician education, or a sponsored Snap-on tool voucher of equal value.
“This is awesome! Just being nominated means so much to me,” said Miranda, upon learning he had won the national award. “Thank you to TechForce Foundation and everyone who voted. This experience encourages me to do my best and it’s a great feeling to know that other people recognize my hard work.”
The FutureTech Rock Awards recognize and celebrate students’ commitment to and passion for the technician profession and the transportation industry, according to the group.
The U.S. graduates approximately 57,000 technician students each year, but the workforce needs more than 120,000 techs annually just to keep up with growth, according to TechForce Foundation.
Nominations for the FutureTech Rock Awards were provided by instructors, school personnel, fellow students, youth program directors, and business and community leaders. Nominations were reviewed by a panel of volunteer judges including Julia Landauer, NASCAR driver; Tony Molla, ASA; Brandon Eckenrode, Collision Repair Education Foundation; Larry Cox, Sunstate Equipment; Ken Calhoun, Altec Service Group; and Frank Leutz, Desert Car Care of Chandler and Wrench Nation. Ten national finalists were selected, each of whom received a tool voucher sponsored by Snap-on, a gift certificate to Cengage’s online educational library sponsored by Cengage Learning, and a Haynes Online Manual sponsored by Haynes North America.
For more information, visit TechForceFoundation.org/FutureTechsRock.
