Driving Our Future: NH Automobile Dealers Association Creatively Offers $75k In Student Scholarships

The NHADA is providing $75,000 in aid to high school and college students all over the state for the 2020-21 school year, to help fund their educational pursuits.  The grants, ranging from $500 to $5,000 will help pay for enhanced training and certification.  NHADA has granted scholarships to 32 high school students and to 37 community college students. To be considered, all students need a minimum 2.5 GPA and had to be enrolled in auto tech courses.

The students will take classes at Manchester Community College, White Mountain Community College, Lakes Region Community College and Nashua Community College.  Programs range from basic auto repair to vehicle diagnostics to full repair of late model cars and brand-new models.  The program works in partnership with local dealerships and with auto manufacturers so that students are working on the exact types of cars they would most likely see in their workplace in the future.

Available jobs include certified technician, parts manager, service manager, import technician and performance tuner. Entry level jobs can pay more than $30-thousand dollars a year. Well-trained experts in automotive technology can make more than $100-thousand dollars in annual salary.

“This year presents a unique challenge in awarding these scholarships to students around New Hampshire, so we are taking our good news on the road and going door to door to deliver the news, along with a little “sign of success” for their achievement,” says Jessica Dade, Executive Director of the NHADA Education Foundation.

“The jobs are available statewide and our association wants to ensure our member dealerships are equipped with the right people and the right technology to best serve the driving public; this is a number one priority,” explains Pete McNamara, President of the NHADA. 

2020-2021 NHADA Scholarship Recipients:

Owen Sullivan, Alvirne High School

Colby Deroche, Concord Regional Technical Center (CRTC)

Colby Marshall, CRTC

Caitlin Bettez, CRTC

Devin Delude, CRTC

Mitchell Stebbins, CRTC

Charles Veitch, CRTC

Joseph O’Brien, CRTC

Connor Rain, CRTC

Desiree Roberts, Dover Regional CTC

Allan Cushing, Huot CTE Laconia

Timothy Gentile, Huot CTE Laconia

Nathaniel Asseng, Cheshire Career Center

Willard Skidmore, Littleton

Jonathan Beaumont, Manchester School of Technology

Alec Morgo, Manchester School of Technology

Austin Ostrander, Manchester School of Technology

Matthew Drootin, Mt Washington Valley CTE

Jose Avalos, Nashua CTE

Logan Pettus, Nashua CTE

Meghan Taylor, Newport School

Garrett Pintal, Pinkerton

Ryan Petrelis, Pinkerton

Connor Branagan, Pinkerton

Emily Rollins, Pinkerton

Umang Patel, Portsmouth CTE

Simon Faulkner, Portsmouth CTE

Damien Moody, Portsmouth CTE

Joseph Killron, R.W. Creteau CTE

Lyle Smith, Salem CTE

Devin Ulbrich, Salem CTE

Caleb Labbe, Seacoast School of Technology

The New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA) is a statewide trade association, representing the interests of the motor vehicle retail industry. Membership consists of all of the new equipment, car, truck, motorcycle, snowmobiles, and on-road and off-road recreational vehicle dealers, as well as, independent dealers, motor vehicle service, auto body repair, and motor vehicle parts sales facilities.