Compiled by SEMA Editors
Eddie Motorsports Hires Larry Ashley as Operations Manager
Eddie Motorsports has announced a new addition to the team. Larry Ashley, new operations manager, joined the team August 2. He brings more than 33 years of professional experience in the automotive aftermarket, having worked in key management positions at various companies that have revolutionized certain areas of the aftermarket. Some recognizable brands include California Custom USA, American Products Co., TMI Products and most recently POL Performance Online.
Pep Boys.
Pep Boys Awards $100,000 in Scholarships to 15 Aspiring Automotive Technicians Across the United States
Pep Boys has announced the 15 recipients of its annual Find Your Drive $100,000 scholarship program. The company increased its investment during this 100th year in business to $100,000 to celebrate its centennial and continue its emphasis of the critical “Race to 2026” initiative—a program designed to recruit and support the talented technicians in the automotive industry and close America’s skills gap. The 2021 scholarship winners will have a special opportunity to participate and be recognized during the #PepBoysRoadTrip—a custom Pep Boys-branded bus that is traveling across the country and visiting the communities the company serves.
This year’s scholarship program included five $10,000 scholarships to qualified students studying to become professional automotive technicians in major metro areas: Houston; Los Angeles; Orlando; Philadelphia; and Caguas, Puerto Rico. Students receiving $10,000 scholarships for the 2021–22 academic year are:
- Valentin Davy, Miami, Florida – Universal Technical Institute, Orlando, Florida
- Jonathan Cotto, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico – Mech-Tech College Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Eli Alvarez, Hutto, Texas – Texas State Technical College, Waco, Texas
- Julien Vargas, Lehighton, Pennsylvania – Universal Technical Institute, Exton, Pennsylvania
- Cecilia Ledesma, El Monte, California – Rio Hondo College, Whittier, California
The additional 10 $5,000 scholarships were awarded to qualified students in other areas of the United States. Students receiving $5,000 scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year are:
- John Paul Jansen, Bellevue, Nebraska – Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas
- Kasey Tarantino, Pennsburg, Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
- Hannah Armstrong, Shamrock, Texas – Universal Technical Institute, Irving, Texas
- Esperanza Murguia, San Dimas, California – Universal Technical Institute, Avondale, Arizona
- Daniel Gorski, Chicago, Illinois – Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois
- Mark Jones, Mountainside, New Jersey– Ohio Technical College, Cleveland, Ohio
- Erick Poole, Waukegan, Illinois – Lincoln Technical Institute, Melrose Park, Illinois
- Nicail Andres Ruiz Alcaide, San Juan, Puerto Rico – Mech-Tech College, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Derek Deddo, Midlothian, Illinois – Lincoln Technical Institute, Melrose Park, Illinois
- Zachariah Riehle, Milan, Indiana – University of Northwestern Ohio, Lima, Ohio
This year, the Find Your Drive scholarship committee also reviewed applications and selected winners from among those who had applied through the University of the Aftermarket Foundation—a non-profit organization that helps provide funding and helps facilitate scholarships within the aftermarket for students pursuing an automotive technician degree or certification. The annual scholarship program is part of Pep Boys’ “Race to 2026” initiative that aims to increase the number of trained technicians and help fill an industry-wide talent gap projected to grow to 46,000 over the next five years.
Amna Shahzadi Newest Member of Eleven Engineering R&D Design Team
Eleven Engineering Inc. has announced that Amna Shahzadi is now the newest member of the company’s growing research and development design team. Shahzadi has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alberta.
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