TechForce Foundation announced Automotive Technician Daniel McCrum of CarMax in Gulfport, Miss. as its 2022 Techs Rock Awards grand prize winner.
“What!? Wow... I'm in, like, shock right now. Thank you!” McCrum said joyfully upon learning of his award. “I kinda thought I had a pretty fair chance to win something because of everything I overcame, but I didn't think I could win the whole thing. This is a national contest… it's nationwide and I won!”
The Techs Rock Awards was created in 2018 to highlight the contributions of technicians in their workplaces and communities and demonstrate to the public that a technical education and career is a viable pathway to success.
The Awards showcase the benefits of an in-demand technician career to spark students' interest, and the TechForce Network meets those students where they are with the resources needed to explore and pursue a technical education and career, noted the foundation.
As the grand prize winner McCrum will receive more than $10,000 in total prizes from TechForce and its industry partners. Prize sponsors include Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Caliber, Cengage Learning, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Snap-on Industrial, and WD-40 Company.
Since the awards program launched, technicians have received more than $27,000 in prizes. Over $17,500 in prizes were awarded in the 2022 Techs Rock Awards alone, including:
- Each Category Winner, including the grand prize winner, received tools, gift cards, and other prizes valued at over $1,700.
- The grand prize winner also received an all-expenses-paid trip to STX 2024 in Orlando, Fla. valued at $3,000 courtesy of Advance Auto Parts, along with an additional prize package valued at over $5,500.
The five Category Winners represent less than one percent of the nearly 700 technicians nominated. Winners were selected by a panel of expert celebrity judges including Emily Reeves, Flying Sparks Garage; Charles Sanville, The Humble Mechanic; Bogi Lateiner, Bogi’s Garage; Pete Meier, Motor Age Magazine; and Julia Landauer, Julia Landauer Racing.
Each category winner represented a distinct category. Honorees include:
- Barrier Buster - Daniel McCrum, Carmax. The Barrier Buster category recognizes technicians for showing heart and passion in overcoming obstacles to succeed.
- Die Hard - Joshua Ferrantino, Rodman Ford. The Die Hard category recognizes industry superfans who live, breathe, sleep, and thrive in their career.
- Outstanding Mentor - Frank Mendoza, Flow Nissan & NASCAR Technical Institute. The Outstanding Mentor category recognizes techs for providing support and guidance to the industry's future technicians.
- Pay it Forward - Zachary Carlsen, Northern Auto Repair. The Pay it Forward category recognizes technicians for being a community advocate and inspiring the next generation of techs.
- Rookie of the Year - Kael Gortat, Carmax. The Rookie of the Year category recognizes up-and-coming tech professionals with under two years’ professional experience.
