May 8, 2015 - Exemplary NASCAR Tech Graduate Receives Roger Penske Outstanding Student Award
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Campus President Jennifer Bergeron presents Travis Finet with a $12,000 check for winning the Roger Penske Outstanding Student award. |
Nothing was going to stand between Travis Finet and his longtime dream of becoming an automotive service technician. A native of Anderson, S.C., Travis graduated high school with his eye on the prize, working for years as a fork lift driver to save money toward an education at NASCAR Technical Institute. Since he’s moved to Mooresville, N.C., with his mother and sister to pursue his dreams, he has been unstoppable.
Since Travis started at NASCAR Tech in January 2014, he has received eight “Student of the Course” awards, a “Crew Chief” award in NASCAR Pit and an “Excellent Attendance” award. Because of his dedication, sacrifice and outstanding academic performance, Travis was recently awarded the prestigious Roger Penske Outstanding Student Award from the UTI Foundation. The award grants $12,000 to one exceptional UTI student who has completed 52 weeks of the Auto/Diesel core curriculum and is pursuing advanced training. Travis, who graduated from NASCAR Tech on May 1, is continuing his education at UTI-Avondale in Arizona, where he will complete the BMW FastTrack/STEP program.
Given Roger Penske’s emphasis on excellence, the student chosen for the award must display high academic achievement, a record as a team player and support the success of fellow students. An active member of the NASCAR Tech community, Travis has been formally recognized for giving back to his school and classmates. He received a volunteer award for dedicating over 1,000 hours to NASCAR Tech’s Universal Motorsports Team, a club offered by the school that offers students racing-related volunteer opportunities. This generous spirit does not go unnoticed by Travis’s instructors and peers, who value the enthusiasm Travis shows up with each day.
“Travis is a prime example for fellow UTI students and his work ethic serves as an inspiration to us all,” said Jennifer Bergeron, Campus President of NASCAR Technical Institute. “He is incredibly focused and determined in his mission to become an amazing master technician, and his unstoppable, generous spirit truly embodies the character of UTI.”
With NASCAR Tech in his rearview and UTI-Avondale just around the corner, Travis doesn’t lose sight of the sacrifices that have led him to where he is today, and the family that’s supported him through it all.
“Through talking about my hopes and dreams with my single mom and my sister, both teachers, we developed a plan to make my dreams come true. The only way to be able to afford my education was for all three of us to move to the Mooresville area, live together and share expenses. As I was working nearly non-stop to save money, my mom and my sister began looking for new jobs in the area. A month before I started at NASCAR Technical Institute, the three of us moved to North Carolina and have since been struggling and sacrificing to realize my dreams,” Travis said.
Travis plans to focus on thoroughly understanding auto dynamics, learning the secrets to customer satisfaction and honing his professional problem-solving skills while at UTI-Avondale.
