March 19, 2015 - Turning Up Tech: Sylmar High School Takes Top Prize in Automotive Competition
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Reps from UTI-Rancho Cucamonga delivered the grand prize to the winners of the campus’ Top Tech Challenge. Sylmar High School students came out on top in the competition after testing their automotive knowledge, winning a $10,000 Snap-on toolbox. |
High School students Edward Martinez and Cesar Ramos have a passion for the automotive industry that is not only shining a spotlight on their individual abilities but also on their high school’s impressive automotive program.
Martinez and Ramos, both students at Sylmar High School, recently teamed up to put their automotive diagnostic and repair skills to the test in a hands-on competition at Universal Technical Institute in Rancho Cucamonga. UTI’s Top Tech Challenge tested students from Southern California high schools, challenging them to successfully demonstrate and apply the skills and knowledge they’ve learned in the classroom.
From assessing their expertise in a written exam to hands-on skill set tests such as building an electrical circuit and troubleshooting engine issues, Martinez and Ramos excelled in the competition. They took the Top Tech Challenge’s top honors and grand prize, a Snap-on toolbox for their school valued at $10,000.
“UTI’s Top Tech Challenge is designed to help students see first-hand how STEM principles that they are learning in school are used in in-demand automotive careers,” said Todd Gaither, UTI instructor who coordinated and judged the Top Tech Challenge. “This was a great opportunity for our other participants to gain confidence in their abilities and recognize the potential to pursue a career doing what they love.”
Representatives from UTI-Rancho Cucamonga delivered the Snap-on toolbox – decked out with a custom UTI design – to Sylmar High School on March 2.
“The toolbox is a reflection of these students’ hard work and they should be proud,” Gaither said.
