Letter: Former Student Expresses Gratitude to Diman Teachers

By Steve Valero '01

Hello there,

I do not know if you remember me from your 2001 graduating class. My name is Steve Valero, my younger brother (Timothy Valero) is in Auto Technologies currently.

For a few years I have wanted to contact you to tell you and the other instructors that I really appreciate what I learned in my time in your respective classes and although the lessons did not sink in for a few years it has benefited me in many ways.Getting up to the school has be pretty difficult in a time frame that I could assure you would be there to thank in person, I stumbled upon the new Diman website and found your respective email addresses and I just had to contact you, as soon as I found it. At that time I was in your classes I was a stupid teenager and was far too young to take in what was being given to me. I wanted to let all of my former instructors know that I really appreciate what you taught me and your words did not fall on deaf ears. I use the principals and methods you used to teach me to teach my customer base and trainees and to repair cars every day.

To give you a slight background of what I have been up to for the last seven or so years. Since graduation I continued to work at my Co-Op job for another year while getting my affairs in order to move. I moved to Alexandria Virginia in August of 2002 and continued my employment as a technician for Goodyear until I got a job opportunity at American Service Centers' Mercedes Benz body shop, that was a short stop onto my final destination. After a short stint there I moved onto Browns Nissan where I was given a chance as a "B" tech,given my alignment and body shop experience (they have a full service body shop too). I worked there for about a year doing all types of work, paying my dues and learning the product inside and out. I made the move to my current position at Passport Infiniti in Alexandria Va in March of 2004 where I have risen to the level of KEI Infiniti/Nissan Master Technician in only a few years,, along with passing all the requirements to achieve ASE master status before I turned 25(which was a long-shot goal of mine when I was a stupid kid in your classes), I have since received multiple customer satisfaction awards from Infiniti for being one of the top 10 rated technicians in the Eastern Region. I am now married to my long time girlfriend (the same one from my high school days) we live in Alexandria Va/ where we have been living happily inside the "Beltway" and decided to stay here when she graduated from GWU.

I now assist other Nissan/Infiniti owners as a staff member on NicoClub.com and I am also doing some consulting for InfinitiOnlineMechanic.com, as an Articles Manager in my free time. I have really used the information that I was taught while in school to get ahead at a very quick rate and I have you guys to thank for that. At the time I graduated I was an immature child, with little to no long term plans. I want you to know that you really got through to me and I appreciate you not giving up on me. I know many of my fellow classmates are either not in the field anymore or still working at Jiffy-Lube, but some of us used the basics we were taught and made a decent career from it. As an adult I know realize that the real world experiences that you shared with me have made me the technician and person I have become.

I have an upcoming interview for the quarterly Infiniti/Nissan Technicians' publication on achieving master status and I will be thanking all of you for your work and patience.

In the future I would like to teach people the basics of automotive fundamentals, I applaud your efforts and determination working with young punks like me. I do not know how you manage the patience to deal with it on a daily basis. I am currently in the position to become shop foreman at my Infiniti dealer and have developed a large customer base and strong work ethic using the lessons I was taught in both my time in Shop Tech and my time in the Shop. The basics of measuring brake rotors, putting a non-directional surface on brake rotors after resurfacing, and properly torquing wheels have not escaped me and I use them on a daily basis.

Please keep up the good work. Feel free to contact me if you have any Nissan/Infiniti related questions.

Eternally Grateful,
Steven Valero
Class of '01