SGTC Foundation’s Georgia Street Rod Association Scholarship presented to Motorsports student Becker Santamaria
Becker Santamaria of Americus, a student in the South Georgia Technical College High Performance Engines/Motorsports program, was presented with the SGTC Foundation’s Georgia Street Rod Association Scholarship. He is the son of Celso and Angeles Geronimo Santamaria.
The Georgia Street Rod Association (GSRA), a statewide association of automotive enthusiasts, businesses and organizations dedicated to education, safety, and awareness, has partnered with South Georgia Technical College’s High Performance Engines/Motorsports program to encourage more students to become involved with the automotive industry through an endowed scholarship.
“I would like to thank the Georgia Street Rod Association for this opportunity,” said Becker Santamaria. “I came to an event at South Georgia Technical College with I was a junior at Furlow Charter School and I had the opportunity to see the race car and the simulator. I thought this is something that I would really like to know more about and have the opportunity to work in this field.
“There is just something about hearing the motor of the race car when it starts up,” laughed Becker. “People come from all over campus just to see it. It is exciting to think that I may have the opportunity to work in this field after graduation.”
Becker Santamaria is in his first semester in the Motorsports program but he has always been fascinated by cars. His dad has an older model Mustang and he hopes one day to have enough knowledge for him and his dad to work on it together and restore it.
He also had words of praise for his instructor. “Mr. Kevin Beaver is a great instructor. He is very knowledgeable and makes even the complicated information seem easy. It is also awesome that we get hands-on training in the lab in addition to the classroom. I appreciate the Georgia Street Rod Association and I am very grateful for the chance to receive this scholarship.”
Santamaria is using the scholarship funds to assist with his tuition. The Georgia Street Rod Association has been actively supporting SGTC since 2007. The GSRA endowed a scholarship for the SGTC High Performance Engines/Motorsports in 2007 and 17 students from that program have received the GSRA Association scholarships.
Those scholarship winners include Garrett Wilson of Douglasville, Destrontaie Daniels of McDonough, Jesse Salaza of Americus, Garrett Kennedy of Pine Mountain, Brandon McLemore of Americus, Nadarius Joiner of Montezuma, Chase Conger of Americus, Billy King, Sr. of Pineview, Marquivious Majors of Macon, Oscar Martinez of Americus, John Allen of Smithville, Leo Thomas Skinner of Leesburg, Ben Hollis of Americus, James Cobb of Vienna, Randall S. Raybon of Plains, Troytavion Smith of Montezuma, Adrian Barredo of Lake City, GA and Becker Santamaria of Americus.
One of the club’s scholarship winners, Garrett Kennedy, is working with Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group. He attributes his ability to land a position with Hendrick Motorsports to the skills and knowledge gained from South Georgia Technical College. Other scholarship winners are employed with professional racing teams or garages or within the automotive industry.
SGTC’s Motorsports Program is four semesters in length and provides students with the skills needed to enter the workforce at the entry level.
“On behalf of South Georgia Technical College and the South Georgia Technical College Foundation, I would like to thank the Georgia Street Rod Association for partnering with us and providing scholarship opportunities for students passionate about a career in the automotive industry,” said SGTC President Watford.
South Georgia Technical College is one of the oldest technical colleges in the state. SGTC has helped thousands of students celebrate success through its workforce education designed to place students in high demand careers. It was also recently named as one of the 8th Best Two-Year Colleges in the Nation by EDsmart and was a top ten in a poll released by U.S. News and World Report.
“When people think about technical education, many times they use the term ‘hands-on education,’” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “I think of technical education as the opportunity to train individuals to use their minds to direct their hands to make a great living doing what they love.”
South Georgia Technical College, located in Americus, Georgia, offers students the “Complete College Experience.” It is one of only two technical colleges in Georgia with on-campus housing. South Georgia Tech also provides the use of textbooks at no cost to students while also offering nationally ranked academic programs, student activities and organizations, and intercollegiate athletics. “We have over 200 different associate degree, diploma and technical certificate of credit training opportunities. But we also provide technical college students with the traditional college experience while training their minds and their hands for careers of a life-time,” said President Watford. “Our academics, student activities, and intercollegiate athletic programs are nationally ranked. South Georgia Technical College has also been ranked as the best community college in Georgia for five consecutive years.”
Partnerships with industry leaders such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Georgia Power, MetroPower, Delta, and others have helped the college to earn world-wide recognition in graduating students while also taking advantage of the complete college experience. The college also highlights particularly successful students through its Student of Excellence program and by participation in the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) program as well as SkillsUSA.
For more information about how to enroll and get a jump start on one of the over 200 associate degree, diploma, or technical certificate of credit programs available today at South Georgia Technical College, contact the admissions office in Americus at 229-931-2394 or 229-271-4040 in Cordele. Visit our website at www.southgatech.edu to apply or learn more.