Concord, NH – As schools all around the state prepare to reopen for students in the fall, the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA) is going door to door to bring some cheer to students who applied for financial aid to pursue careers in the auto industry. Last week, the NHADA team delivered scholarship approvals along with a “sign of success” to be placed in the front yard of recipients to celebrate their achievements. Video and pictures found here.
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.