Team WANADA shines at national auto tech competition

Team WANADA shines at national auto tech competition

A two-man team of automotive technical students from Damascus High School in Damascus, MD, did the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association proud recently, by placing in the finals of The National Automotive Technology Competition during the New York Auto Show. The Damascus program is part of the longtime dealer group supported Automotive Trades Foundation in the Montgomery County public schools. The competition is a test of skill, a measure of knowledge, and a race against the clock featuring hundreds of the countrys best high school automotive education students competing for the title of Best Technicians.

ATF students, Brian Walters and Armon Cheraghi did not win the competition, but placed at the top of a large field and shared significantly in the more than $3 million in prizes and scholarships awarded. I am extremely pleased with their effort and how they carried themselves in the competition, said ATF instructor Raul Ortiz, who accompanied them.

This nationally recognized competition, developed by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association in recognition of the shortage of qualified automotive technicians and the need to raise the level of career education standards in the public schools, celebrated its 23nd year in 2012 as the preeminent competition of its kind. WANADA teams, alternating between Maryland and Virginia student auto sales programs, have competed each year since the competitions inception.

Each two-person student team must diagnose and repair a number of pre-assigned problems under a car’s hood within an allotted amount of time. Each “bug” correctly repaired is worth a number of points, depending on the level of difficulty. In addition, the student’s overall knowledge is tested through a series of written tests prepared by the ASE.

To prepare for the competition, students train with their high school instructors as well as with ASE Certified Technicians at local franchised automobile dealerships.

WANADA congratulates Brian Walter, Armon Cheraghi and instructor Raul Ortiz on a job well done!