Mount Vernon High School automotive program showcase recognizes partnership with Ford and Rockland Community College

Mount Vernon High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department hosted a program showcase, on Thursday, October 20, 2022, recognizing the kickoff of the Ford Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program. The event also displayed the appreciation the Mount Vernon City School District has for its partnership with Ford and Rockland Community College (RCC) in the education of the school’s automotive students.  
 
The ACE program will give high school students in the automotive program the opportunity to intern and network at Scarsdale Ford. Upon completion of the program, they will be qualified to start working immediately as a quick lube technician or choose to continue their education at a secondary institution.  

“When I became superintendent, I made that promise that I am going to commit myself to ensure that Mount Vernon High School is way beyond the Mount Vernon High School I found when I came here,” said Dr. Waveline Bennett-Conroy, superintendent of schools. “This partnership is the beginning of this journey.” 
 
“I stand here witnessing the vision for Mount Vernon High School come to fruition,” said Dr. Pauline Pearce, principal of Mount Vernon High School. “We are building community, cultivating character and inspiring excellence.”  
Due to the high demand of technicians right now -- the average mechanic being 55 years old -- these students will have the unique advantage to enter a field full of opportunity. By the time these students enter their mid-20s, they can be making anywhere between $80,000 to $150,000 a year. 
 
“This program can change someone’s life completely,” said Noel Campbell, director of CTE. “Mount Vernon automotive students can graduate high school with an internship, connections, and hands-on experience.”   
 
The ACE program begins with students completing modules alongside regular learning. These modules will be assigned as homework assignments or extra credit. By completing this program in high school, students will have a head start at continuing their education at RCC or will be able to work as a quick lube technician. 
 
"Auto is the class that I go home and talk about,” said Kenneth Mac, senior student at Mount Vernon High School. “It is important to learn how to fix cars and this program brings that opportunity.”  
 

“The preparation the students are going to get at Mount Vernon High School through the partnership with Ford and RCC is something that is going to prepare them for the future,” said Earle Mitchell III, regional technical placement specialist at Ford and a Mount Vernon High School graduate. “This is one of those one-of-a-kind opportunities.” 
 
RCC offers the Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) Program and the opportunity to graduate with an associate's degree in applied science in two years. RCC allows 16 students to enter the competitive Ford ASSET program, which is the only program that provides students with a paid internship. 
 
“RCC is a fraction of the price of other technical institutes,” said Dr. Egbert Shillingford, program director of automotive technology at RCC. “There is really no comparison. You graduate with a degree here, not just a certificate.” 
 
RCC also offers a general Automotive Technology Program focusing on all manufacturers. The RCC program has a 100 percent job placement rate and is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, meaning if students did want to pursue a four-year degree, 100 percent of their credits would transfer to any SUNY school. RCC is also less than half the price of other options, like Lincoln Tech.  

“Most of our students graduate with no student loans,” said Yusef Rimawi, professor of automotive technology at RCC. “Scarsdale has been a tremendous partner and I know from our relationship with them that they are going to be a tremendous partner to the new Mount Vernon High School.”  

“I always say I am the luckiest teacher in the world because I get to teach what I love every day,” said Michael Malocsay, automotive instructor at Mount Vernon High School. “When these students graduate, they will be prepared.”