Today, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump visited the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Today, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump visited the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina, and participated in a hands-on tour and demonstration of the programs offered at the institute, followed by a roundtable discussion with NASCAR Technical Institute leadership and students to learn more about the institute’s support for
The NASCAR Technical Institute, which is a division of the Universal Technical Institute, is the “exclusive educational provider for NASCAR and the only campus in the country to offer NASCAR-endorsed training.” The institute has trained many students since it opened in 2002, preparing them for careers in the automotive and computer numerical control machining industries.
Ivanka Trump visited the institute to emphasize the Administration’s commitment to vocational and hands-on learning to ensure that the next generation of American workers have the skills necessary to thrive in today’s booming economy, and to highlight the NASCAR Technical Institute’s support in this pursuit.
Participants:
Ms. Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President
Ms. Jennifer Lynn Bergeron, President, NASCAR Technical Institute
Mr. Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO, Richard Childress Racing
Mr. Austin Dillon, Driver, NASCAR
Rep. Ted Budd, NC-13
Rep. Richard Hudson, NC-08
Mr. Ronnie Brittain, Computer Numerical Control Machining Instructor, NASCAR Technical Institute
Mr. Brandall Brown, Student, NASCAR Technical Institute
Ms. Caitlyn Brown, Student, NASCAR Technical Institute
Ms. Madison Conrad, Graduate, NASCAR Technical Institute
NASCAR Technical Institute Student and Graduate Bios:
Mr. Brandall Brown, Student
From the small town of Tallapoosa, Georgia – just 45 minutes from the legendary Talladega track –
Brandall Brown, 19, was born with “racing in his blood.” Jeff Gordon was his childhood hero and he vividly remembers annual visits to the Daytona USA museum, beginning at age five, where he would play on racing simulators.
As an older kid he was “always around the track.” He wanted to work in racing, volunteered at the Talladega Short Track and says there was never a “Plan B.”
When he was 12, Brandall googled “how to get into NASCAR.” NASCAR Technical Institute was the first result, and Brandallwas so excited by the opportunity, he added the school to his Facebook profile. Parents, teachers and counselors told him that as a smart kid with good grades, he should go to a four-year college and become an engineer or an architect. But Brandallfollowed his heart.
Just five days after he graduated from high school in May 2018, he moved to North Carolina to start classes at NASCAR Technical Institute. His ultimate goal was to get a job with Hendrick Motorsports. Today, he works there as a part-time Pit Specialist, while he goes to school.
“I’m pursing my dream, Brandall says, “and NASCAR Tech is giving me the knowledge, education and connections to do it.”
Caitlyn Brown, Student
Since she can remember, Caitlyn Brown, 19, has been at the racetrack. She grew up in a family of racers and, at just 13 years old, got behind the wheel herself, driving four-cylinder cars. Her dad made it clear: if she was going to be in motorsports, she’d need to do the work, so she learned to maintain her own car, and his.
Today, Caitlyn is well on her way to turning her passion into a career.
Caitlyn has been around that track enough to know that, if she wanted to get her foot in the door with a race team, she’d need a great education. So she enrolled at Universal Technical Institute’s NC campus- NASCAR Tech – the only school she considered — In September 2017. Today, she is a 4.0 student and an active member of the Universal Motorsports Team. She has a part-time job at Butler Built, where she supports a team working on high performance engines and has volunteered more than 1,000 hours with a local dirt bike team. And while there aren’t many women in racing, it’s never held Caitlyn back, and she says she’s had nothing but support.
Caitlyn’s dream? To be a Car Chief with a NASCAR team. NASCAR Tech is helping her make that dream a reality.
Madison Conrad, Graduate
In 2015, Madison Conrad came to NASCAR Technical Institute from Albuquerque, New Mexico to pursue her passion – and a fast-paced career – in motorsports. Just 16 months later, she graduated at the top of her class and received two extremely prestigious awards, the “Roger Penske Outstanding Student” award as well as the “Humble Hero” award, and went to work for Roush Yates Engines.
Today, she is a Post-Race Specialist for Roush Yates Engines, the exclusive provider of Ford engines in NASCAR and one of the most respected names in racing, and inspects and fine tunes engine components after they come off the track. She’s making strides as one of the leading women in NASCAR racing and hopes to inspire others to do the same.