Valentino Nevarez (L) and Kevin Croan (R)
Two students from San Diego Miramar College traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina earlier this fall to participate in the American Trucking Association (ATA) and Truck Maintenance Council (TMC) Futuretech competition.
Valentino Nevarez placed 8th, and Kevon Croan placed 18th out of 48 contestants at the competition, held September 15-16. Nevarez served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years and is in the last semester of Miramar College’s Diesel Technology associate degree program.
The idea of competing against students from around the country did not faze him at all.
“I have been to Afghanistan where I saved lives by fixing blown up trucks,” Nevarez said. “I am not going to be intimidated by this competition.”
Croan is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran; he served as an M1A1 battle tank operator. He has a bachelor’s degree in math and came to Miramar College to learn a trade. He was honored to compete alongside his classmate at TMC Futuretech.
“What an honor to have two students from the same college,” Croan said. “We got to showcase our skills in front of potential employers.”
TMC FutureTech is a two-day event featured both written and hands-on skills challenges. The event also includes a training fair with information about job-related training classes and how to qualify for NATEF education credits.
Gene Choe, professor of Diesel Technology at San Diego Miramar College, was invited by George Arrants of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) to submit applications for FedEx-sponsored slots in the competition. Nevarez and Croan were two of five students selected in a nationwide application process.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for students to show their skills on a national stage to industry leaders,” Arrants said. “Every station is important to the industry for entry-level employees.”
Registration for next year’s TMC Futuretech competition will be available in May at tmc.trucking.org.
