The blue and white building stood tall and impressive. The signature emblem “H” hung over the glass doors. The front entrance was lined with new Honda models; shiny and ready to hit the road. General Manager Jacob Lundie and his newest hire Daniel Rojas a towering young man with the biggest smile stand in the grand foyer of the auto dealership on Flagstaff’s east side.
Lundie and Rojas met on September 7, 2022, at the Coconino Community College Student’s First Celebration. The event, put on by the CCC Foundation, serves as an opportunity for scholarship donors to meet and celebrate scholarship recipients. Rojas, a student speaker at the event, accepted the Distinguished Service Scholarship, given each year in honor of the Distinguished Service Award recipient, which was awarded to Robby Findlay of the Findlay Automotive Group.
Lundie said, “Daniel gave his speech and I just remember thinking how great it was to see him get out of his comfort zone and deliver a speech to all of his peers and faculty at his new school.” Lundie was so impressed he offered Rojas a job with Findlay.
“The meeting between Daniel and Jacob is truly what Students First is all about,” said Dianna Sanchez, CCC Chief Development Officer.
“The event was designed as a way for community members and donors to celebrate our students. Daniel and Jacob were able to meet at the breakfast and discuss Daniel’s accomplishments. As Daniel shared his prior work experience and future goals with Jacob, it became clear that Daniel would be a great employee at Findlay.”
Rojas is using the scholarship to help cover the cost of his tuition and living expenses. Since living in Flagstaff is more expensive than his hometown of South Phoenix, the money has been very helpful.
Rojas’ love for working on cars run deep. He worked at Discount Tire in Phoenix during his high school years and he is enjoying the change of pace at Findlay.
“My new job with Findlay is more fun than changing tires all day,” he said. “It gives me great confidence knowing I am learning how to fix cars on my own.”
To further his education, Rojas has also enrolled in CCC’s Automotive 106 course, which help students learn the ins and outs of working on car engines. CCC started the automotive program last year with the help of Findlay Honda Flagstaff, which generously donates classroom space and a service bay. Right now, Rojas works three days in the service shop at Findlay Honda, takes a full load of classes at CCC, and is in the process of completing an online training course with Findlay to become a Master Tech.
When asked what he does for fun with his free time, he replied, “Currently just trying to catch up on sleep.” He did say he’s looking forward to his first Flagstaff winter and hopes to try out skiing.
The CCC Foundation Scholarship application for the 2023-2024 academic year will open on December 9, 2022. For more information about CCC scholarships, visit https://www.coconino.edu/foundation-scholarships
Original source can be found here.
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