Bob Gana Memorial Scholarship

I have been around cars my whole life. My grandfather owned a used car dealership when I was younger. I spent a lot of time at the car lot; some of my favorite memories are sitting behind the wheel of classic cars, playing with keys or proudly perched on Poppa's knee behind his big desk. Poppa has a passion for cars and I wanted to grow up to be just like him. Now, I eat, sleep and dream about cars; even more than him. I'm regularly texting or calling Poppa about cars that I see or want. In recent years, we have even planned family vacations around car shows, museums and driving experiences. It was my sophomore year and I was in the middle of tryouts for our High School soccer team. During day 2 of tryouts, I had to stop and sitout because of the sharp pain I was feeling in my hip and down my leg. Coach wouldn't let me continue with tryouts that week until I was cleared by the trainer, who then sent me to my family doctor. After weeks of x-rays, physical therapy and body scans, I was diagnosed with Spondylosis a condition essentially caused by extreme growth and the root of my pain was a fracture in my lower spine. That summer I had to wear a back brace 24/7; only removing it for an hour each day. I missed out on a lot of events that summer, however, it was during that time that I grew a love for cars and have developed a clear path for my future career. I too learned a lot about being an overcomer and pushing myself to achieve any goal set before me. My love of cars has only grown since that summer and learning to drive. I decided that I'd like to know how to work on cars, so I took an Introduction to Automotive Mechanics class. I ended up enjoying the class and now in my senior year, I serve as the shop manager. I'm currently working at an Automotive Shop alongside a master mechanic who used to work for my family's dealership and have grown my skills even more. I too am learning how to restore a '66 Chevelle that Poppa purchased as a project car for me. My initial plan post graduation from trade school would be to work for an established dealership that would help me apply my skills and gain additional experience in my passion areas of automotive restoration, high-performance vehicles and modifications. My long-term dream would be to own my own used car dealership and service center or work for a manufacturer such as Shelby, Corvette or Roush. My even bigger goal is to one day be able to employ and give back to students from the CTE program at my high school. As a hard worker, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty or tackle any obstacle that may arise. I use work ethic in my everyday life by arriving early, not just on time, and by being prepared with the tools needed for whatever tasks I may have ahead of me. Time management and preparedness are important in the automotive industry to ensure there’s enough time allowance to complete tasks, stay on schedule for your customers and have the appropriate tools to get the job done. As an honest auto mechanic, customers grow to trust and rely on individuals like myself who will get the job done efficiently, keep a clean workspace and regularly exhibit a positive attitude.