SAN DIMAS/LA VERNE – Bonita High School Auto Shop students looking to expand their skill set and gain more experience under the hood of a car participated in the Citrus College High School Summer Academy, a four-day seminar that gave them an opportunity to work with Citrus Automotive Technology professors, and explore its Medium and Heavy Diesel Truck Tech program.

More than a dozen Bonita High students attended the academy, offered for the first time this summer. Students received advanced instruction, watched demonstrations, then got hands-on lab experience with cars and trucks as they worked toward Summer Academy certificates of completion issued by Citrus professors. Among the highlights were crankshaft balancer and engine dynamometer demonstrations, and two days working exclusively with diesel trucks.

“This is a great program for our students who are looking toward careers as auto and truck mechanics, and want to pursue higher education,” Bonita High auto shop teacher Rob Zamboni said. “Students receive access to state-of-the-art instruction and tools, and get a taste of college life. It’s a great program and I highly recommend it for any student who is serious about auto repair.”

As part of an articulation agreement with Citrus College, Bonita Auto Shop students who complete one year of Auto 101, one year of Auto 102 and pass a written and technical exam taken at Citrus will receive three college credits and have an introductory class waived if they join Citrus’ Automotive Technology program.

Bonita’s Automotive Tech pathway consists of three work-based learning classes that provide a thorough overview of automotive systems and components. Working in a state-of-the-art auto lab, students who complete the courses will be prepared to enter a college or trade school level auto tech program at Citrus College or Universal Technical Institute (UTI), or pursue a career as a mechanic.

Among the projects Bonita auto tech students worked on during the 2022-23 school year were the restoration of a 1938 International D-35 pickup truck and assembling an electric car. Students also participated in the school’s annual car show and visited the National Hod Rod Association headquarters at the Pomona Fairplex.

“Bonita High students are gaining invaluable experience through our Auto Technology pathway, which could pave the way to lucrative careers in the future,” Bonita High Principal Kenny Ritchie said. “Rob Zamboni is an amazing and innovative instructor who truly enjoys working with his students and making sure they have every opportunity to succeed.”

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BUSD_AUTOTECH1: Bonita High School Auto Technology students expanded their skill set by attending the Citrus College High School Summer Academy, a four-day seminar that allowed them to gain experience working with medium and heavy diesel trucks and receive instruction from Citrus College Automotive Technology instructors. Bonita High has an articulation agreement with Citrus College that provides students three college credits if they complete their courses at Bonita High and enter Citrus’ Auto Tech program.

BUSD_AUTOTECH2: Bonita High School Auto Tech students look over a set of instructions during the Citrus College High School Summer Academy. More than a dozen Bonita students attended the academy, which was offered for the first time this summer. Students received advanced instruction, watched demonstrations, then got hands-on lab experience with cars and trucks as they worked towards Summer Academy certificates of completion issued by Citrus professors.