Jacob Denny

When Jacob first heard that he was the $5,000 scholarship recipient, he couldn’t believe it. “I was really excited. It almost felt like I won the lottery,” he recalled.

As a transfer student from Northcentral Technical College, he’s currently on his first semester at Michigan Technological University where he is majoring in Mechanical Design. His passion for cars and technology are what motivate him to pursue a career as an automotive engineer.

“Being able to turn that interest into a career is really a dream of mine,” he said. “The automotive industry is at the forefront of technology, and it provides opportunity for creativity.”

During his high school years, Jacob worked at a family-owned auto shop that introduced him to the aftermarket world. The shop owners would go to the SEMA Show every year, so he was thrilled to go to the Show last year. Part of the reward for being a scholarship recipient is free admission to the Show.

“As an automotive enthusiast, I’ve followed a lot of builds that end up at the SEMA Show. SEMA’s the biggest name in the industry,” he declared. “I’m really thankful for the scholarship. It helped put me one step closer to my overall goal.”

Scott George

After graduating from high school, Scotty George jumped into his first full-time job at a local mechanic’s shop, where he learned the basics of automotive maintenance. Not knowing at that point whether working at a shop was something he wanted to do for the rest of his life, he moved on to earn multiple business degrees. He eventually realized that wasn’t for him. “Sitting in a computer all day just didn’t give me the satisfaction that working on cars all day did,” he noted.

That satisfaction and passion for cars led him and fellow pinstriping friends to present a car show every year. The show raises money for local charities and the local community.

Now, a senior at Utah Valley University, he’s on his way to earning his bachelor’s degree in business management with an emphasis in automotive technology. He was drawn to study at the university because of their Street Rod program. He has learned custom welding, panel fabrication, and other custom modifications while working on his own 1968 Ford F100 at school.

“The truck is one of many projects and learning experiences for myself, but ultimately my goal is to be able to use my career and automotive endeavors to give back and serve others.”

Just like Scotty is motivated by helping others, it is in that same spirit that SEMA awards its scholarship recipients.

Jennifer LaFever

I’m a California native. I went to the University of California, Davis, for my mechanical engineering degree, with a minor in economics. Growing up, my dad was into motorsports. So I was immersed in it from a young age, but it was always a hobby to me. I didn’t know it could be a career.

It wasn’t until I graduated from college that I thought I might make a career out of something I am passionate about and not just make a paycheck. I saw an advertisement for the NASCAR Technical Institute. I flew to North Carolina, realized that all the teams are in that area and that the school would give me a hands-on experience that was different from my technical engineering degree.

But I already had a job lined up in the semiconductor tool industry. I worked there for a few years and ended up as a quality engineer. I loved it. It was really exciting because it was super hard when I was in engineering school. I can’t come up with things out of thin air, it isn’t my strength. So when I realized that my engineering degree had more applications, I was thrilled.

I quit my job in the middle of the recession to pursue this passion that was still nagging me. I attended an automotive technology program at University Technical Institute, where I won a $10,000 scholarship. Now that I had money, I signed up for the NASCAR elective and was able to commit to moving to North Carolina and getting that NASCAR certificate.

One of my instructors asked if I had an internship. I didn’t know that was an opportunity, but within days I had interviews lined up with two NASCAR teams and a job with Roush-Yates Racing Engines as an intern in the quality department—all because they saw that I had automotive and engineering experience!

I graduated in September 2011, and I became manager of the quality department in October. Two years ago, I was promoted to director of quality for all of NASCAR production at Roush-Yates Performance Products. It’s very challenging, but that’s what I love about it. What attracted me to motorsports and what keeps me here are the passion and excitement. I heard about the SEMA program from a co-worker, who suggested I apply. I’ve won two loan forgiveness awards. It goes back to that passion. Loan payments are a burden. Loan forgiveness relieves that burden, and it relieves the idea of having to chase the money. It’s basically a $2,000 bonus that has allowed me to work and stay in an industry I am passionate about.

Collin Gentry

My goal was to be a Spanish teacher. I studied in Montevideo, Uruguay, where I lived with a host family for five months to become fluent in the language. I graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in 2011 when I got back.

It all starts when you get out of school and you’re sitting with $40,000 to $50,000 in load debt. You just need to make money. I wanted to find a job in southern Indiana, but I couldn’t find a teaching position. Then a friend said that there was a sales position open at Meyer Distributing. It was not at all what I had in mind. I took the job just to start paying bills, but it turned into so much more.

I had been at Meyer only about three months when I won an essay contest through the Young Executives Network (YEN). The essay had to do with involvement in the industry, passion and drive, and how to contribute to the growth of the industry. YEN flew me to the SEMA Show. It was then that I got to see everything that the industry offers, and I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to get back to work.

I started as a sales guy on the phone. Then I was a manager but was still required to be on the phone drumming up business. I’m currently the exhaust and undercar category manager with a team of six employees across the nation.

The whole industry was new to me when I started. Luckily, I had a really good boss and mentor who told me about the opportunities SEMA offers to college graduates and encouraged me to apply. It was great advice. The first time, I received $2,000. I’ve reapplied and have won a total of $8,000.

Nick D'Orazio

After high school, I wasn’t interested in attending college. I decided to study automotive repair at the Toyota Technician Training & Education Network program. I then worked for an independent Volvo shop and went back to college to study mechanical engineering.

Growing up, my brother and I were involved in off-roading. We thought we would eventually open a shop together. But through working as a mechanic, I realized I am better suited to the design of those products instead of working on them. So I transferred to Georgia Tech, where I did a six-month internship at Fox Racing Shocks. I returned to Georgia Tech to finish my last semester and started full time at Fox in 2016. I’m in the design engineering group that develops new products, from concept to finished product.

While at Georgia Tech, I worked at a company that offered a scholarship to employees who were in college. That scholarship was managed by the same company that manages the SEMA Scholarship Program, and they suggested I was a good candidate for the SEMA program. I applied four times, won two scholarships and the loan forgiveness award.

The ability to have decreased loan payments from the scholarships decreased my overall need while in college. With the loan forgiveness, I’ve been able to target one higher-interest loan and reduce the overall amount. In doing that, I’m able to spend more on non-fixed expenses and having fun in the aftermarket.

If someone’s already focused on being in the aftermarket, it’s a no brainer to apply for these programs. I encourage young people to be active in Society of Automotive Engineers competitions at their school. That will bolster their ability as young engineers to become involved in the automotive industry, to apply for scholarships and loan forgiveness awards through SEMA and move into an industry they’re passionate about.