Automotive technology instructor, student earn awards
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Memorial Scholarship Fund recently awarded $3,000 to a Citrus College student and faculty member.
William Carlton, an automotive technology student, earned a $1,000 scholarship that he planned to use for purchasing tools and study guides. His goal is to be a master technician capable of repairing any machine or piece of equipment.
Automotive technology instructor Mariano Rubio received a $2,000 loan forgiveness award, which he used to pay off student loans for his bachelor's degree.
"SEMA is such an integral part of the automotive industry and receiving the award from them is quite the honor," said Mr. Rubio. "It's helped me pay off some of my student loans, and it encourages me to continue my academic pursuits in the realm of automotive and heavy-duty truck technologies."
Mr. Rubio graduated from Citrus College in 1998 and went on to work as a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician at several local Toyota dealerships. He joined Citrus College part-time in 2010 and became a full-time faculty member in 2012.
In addition to teaching at Citrus College, Mr. Rubio is pursuing a master's degree in mechanical engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and working part-time as a support engineer for a research team at the University of Southern California. The team is tasked with developing a high-energy pulsed plasma system to refine the emissions of diesel engine exhaust gases.
"I feel a technology developed to be retrofittable to older engines that can help clean the air even further has great value in our current global warming situation," said Mr. Rubio. "I'd like to contribute whatever I can to see that we keep our atmosphere clean."
This article originally appeared in the November 2021 edition of the Citrus View.