Two College of Alameda Automotive Technology (Atech) students, Yumeus (Missy) Taylor and Jorge Sandoval, were awarded Ozzie Day Scholarships this spring.   As you can see from the photos below, both of them maintained social distancing protocols when they got their checks!   All in-person Atech labs this semester have been running with full Covid protocols.

Yumeus (Missy) Taylor has been interested in fixing cars since she was five years old.   She is a single mom from Oakland who loves fixing cars and someday wants to own her own business.   She still has more classes to take, and when she graduates, she will be the first female technician in her family!  Missy is also very involved in the Oakland community, where she works with her sister in a nonprofit aiding the homeless.

Jorge Sandoval moved to Oakland from Modesto in 2018 and is completing his COA Atech degree this semester.   He was first introduced to car repair by his dad and uncle, and for the last year, he’s been working part-time for Auto Zone.   He’s planning on seeking full-time employment as an auto technician in the Bay Area after graduation.The Ozzie Day Scholarship is a $500 scholarship, which is awarded by the Atech Department to the students with the highest grade point average and the most units in the Atech Program.  The scholarship was set up in memory of Ozzie Day, the founder of Automotive Engineering and a long-time member of the COA Automotive Advisory committee.