FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 21, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 75
buzz
Jamaica students to rep city in
national auto tech competition
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two Th omas Edison High School
seniors demonstrated their superior skills
as auto technicians and left their competition
in the dust, advancing to the
National Auto Technology Competition
fi nals in April.
Jordy Castro and Lazaro Isidoro,
trained in auto technology by their
instructor Miguel Sierra, beat 11 other
teams of fi nalists from New York City,
Long Island, Westchester County, and
Rockland County in the second round
of the National Auto Tech Competition,
held Feb. 12 at the Center for Automotive
Education and training in Whitestone.
“It was a great feeling to have won and
now get to represent New York at nationals,”
said Isidoro. “We are more excited
than ever to keep the momentum going
and hopefully make history by winning
it all!”
“We know how competitive this competition
is, but we are going to work even
harder so that we may win,” said Castro.
Th e 12 teams of fi nalists each worked
on diff erent car makes and models, all
donated by local New York dealerships.
Th e winning team from Edison worked
on a Lexus, which they drew at the conclusion
of the fi rst round of the competition
on Jan. 9, in which 40 teams of local
students competed.
“Th e competition has been an awesome
experience and I am very happy for my
students Jordy and Lazaro because they
have been working so hard. We will continue
to put forth that eff ort and represent
New York as best we can in the fi nal
round,” said Sierra.
Th e nationally-recognized competition
was created by the Greater New
York Automobile Dealers Association
(GNYADA) to draw attention to
well-paying automotive technician job
opportunities and set interested students
on a path for a rewarding career in the
auto industry.
(From l. to r.) Oliver Brodlieb, Dealer Principal at East Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and GNYADA Education Committee Chair, Jordy Castro, Lazaro Sidoro,
Edison CTE HS instructor Miguel Sierra, GNYADA president Mark Schienberg.
“Th e amount of electronics and technology
in every vehicle being sold today
has advanced rapidly, and it is hugely
important to the future of our industry
to have high quality vocational education
and training for these talented young
people,” said Mark Schienberg, president
of the Greater New York Automobile
Dealers Association. “Th at is why for
decades we have worked collaboratively
with the local BOCES and the NYC
Department of Education to create this
Automotive Technology competition: to
address the need for qualifi ed auto technicians
Photo by Dominick Totino Photography
and set interested students on a path
for a rewarding, high-paying career in the
auto industry.”
Second place winners from Wilson-
Tech Northport and third place winners
from Orange-Ulster BOCES, won $1,000
and $500 in prize money, respectively.
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