Jordy Castro and Lazaro Sidoro competed in GNYADA, a nationally recognized competition, thanks to the guidance of Mr. Sierra, their shop teacher and coach.

Mr. Sierra said, “We go from city level then state and now national. For city only the top 1-4 move on to states. For states only the first place winners can go to nationals… It’s hard to see what they’ll look for. I incorporate into my lesson all information that I can possibly ask.”

Lazaro Sidoro said, “I trained everyday for about 2 to 3 months. I practiced, went to a dealership, and studied at home.”

Jordy Castro said, “Getting to this point has been really hard work. I had to stay late almost everyday and study everyday in order to learn the things we didn’t know…”

The competition does provide benefits for both the school and these individuals. Mr. Sierra said, “Provides a lot of stress for me but it also provides reassurance about what I’m teaching. It provides insight into what I’m doing right and what I can do better. School gets same benefits as I get. Strong program, teacher, and great students. It’s awesome to know that we got the number one program in school. Team NY!”

“The school gets a good reputation. We get a lot of scholarship money. I don’t plan on pursuing a career in the automotive field but knowing about it is useful; I’m planning on doing it at the side,” Sidoro said.

Many students wondered if participation in this event was mandatory or volunteer based. To which Mr. Sierra said, “It is volunteer based. Not mandatory…we put in countless hours after school.”

Finally, the coach and his team discussed about the skills they  needed in order to be successful.

Mr. Sierra said, “Skill set is huge. They need it a lot. Information wise they need to know about every system on a vehicle, how they operate, and their purpose. Technically, they need to be able to inspect, diagnose, and test all these systems. It’s about the whole vehicle, bumper to bumper! From brakes, engines, electrical, suspension, exterior and interior. We inspect, repair, and diagnose.”

Edison’s automotive students have a lot to be proud of. Their hard work and dedication has led to this achievement. Edison will gain recognition for its CTE standards and automotive program.