As part of the new philanthropic partnership, Rosedale Technical College along with #1 Cochran selected the inaugural recipients of the #1 Cochran Technological Excellence Center Scholarship Program.
One of the first recipients awarded is Autumn Lash, a senior at North Hills High School and is studying Early Childhood Education at A.W. Beattie Tech. Autumn has been awarded the Tech Excellence Scholarship, worth $15,000.
Autumn grew up in a family drawn to vehicles, such as motorcycles, dirt bikes, trucks, and quads. Her father, a Millwright, was always working on something in the garage or inside their family home. Autumn has fond memories of joining her father in the garage and handing him tools when asked. Eventually, she became familiar enough with the tasks that she knew what tool he would need next.
Her interest in working on vehicles is what prompted Autumn to attend Rosedale Tech’s automotive technology program upon graduation from high school. Autumn’s goal is to combine her passion for cars and children and open up her own garage that has a childcare center attached to it for her employees and customers.
“I want a business that has a true family environment,” she said.
Autumn was presented with the scholarship on May 9 in front of her classmates at A.W. Beattie. Rosedale Tech Education Outreach Coordinator Doug Nelson and #1 Cochran’s Director of Talent Acquisition and Retention Courtney Halle presented the scholarship to Autumn.
The first recipient of the $15,000 Continuing the Drive Scholarship is Amir Lee, a senior at Abilene High School in Abilene, Texas. He also is enrolled in the school’s auto tech class at the district’s vocational school.
Like Autumn, Amir’s interest in automotive mechanics stems from his father and their “thrifted adventures”. Growing up, Amir was unaware of his family’s financial struggles because he was receiving a wealth of experiences with his father rebuilding motors, restoring cars, and repurposing rakes. His father’s work ethic has been instilled in Amir, which prompted him to pursue a career as an automotive technician. Attending his district’s vocational school for auto mechanics, Amir was connected to a number of people in the automotive industry. One of his automotive teachers encouraged him to apply for an internship at a local dealership.
Upon graduating from Rosedale Tech’s automotive program, Amir’s goal is to work on high-performance cars and equip them for racing.
Amir was presented with the scholarship during a virtual presentation on May 9.
Congratulations to Autumn and Amir!