NASCAR Technical Institute was full of excitement on October 29, 2021, as another group of graduates walked across the stage prepared for exciting futures.

Among them was Automotive program grad Jaysin Diaz, who was selected to be the student speaker for the event. He delivered an inspiring and motivating speech that thanked the staff and instructors at the school and looked optimistically toward the future.

Keep reading to learn more about Jaysin’s background and how he made the decision to further his education at NASCAR Tech in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Passion Runs in the Family

Jaysin Diaz grew up in New Jersey with a love of cars and electronics that started early. Some of this was inspired by Transformer toys, but he attributes most of his early interest in automobiles to his uncle.

“My uncle worked for a General Motors plant in New Jersey, and he would always come by with the latest car that the company would come out with,” Jaysin recalls. “He would pick me up on the weekends in new cars and he always had the coolest ones.”

He said when his older cousins began driving, they would come by on the weekends too. “It would just be like a car show in the front,” he laughs. “It inspired (me) to always have something cool.”

The son of two police officers, Jaysin says his dad, who was an undercover cop, was also someone who had a cool car. “[Cars] weren’t just transportation. They were like accessories and a status thing,” he says.

After high school, Jaysin attended a trade school that certified 12-volt technicians, and he learned how to install all kinds of car electronics, like stereos, remote starters, alarms and more. He got a job in the skilled trades working with electronics and doing car modifications. “ ‘The Fast and the Furious’ came out, and modifications got really big. Everyone wanted their cars modified.”

Jaysin remembers seeing TV ads for Universal Technical Institute, and the thought of going back to school piqued his interest because he hadn’t yet had the chance to learn the mechanical side of things when it came to cars. At the time it wasn’t possible for him to attend UTI, so he put the goal of going back to school on hold.

Heading Back to School

It wasn’t until 20 years went by that Jaysin decided to take a tour of the UTI Bloomfield campus in New Jersey. Afterward, he decided it was time to make a change.

“My wife and I were actually looking to move to North Carolina, and I saw that NASCAR Technical Institute was just in the right spot. We literally picked our house based on the school there,” Jaysin says.

“When I flew down and went to Mooresville, it reminded us a bit of New Jersey. I wanted to be around cars, and Mooresville is basically the car capital of the world. There are cars everywhere, racetracks everywhere — if I wanted to race my lawn mower, there’s a racetrack for that,” he said with a laugh.

Once Jaysin decided to attend NASCAR Tech, he quit his job as a cable installer with Comcast. “I had transitioned into that field for a while, but I always wanted to get back into cars. I figured it was better now than never,” he said.

Jaysin initially took night classes, and one of his first instructors was Scott Palmer. “I was excited to be in school and asking him all these questions,” he says. “At first, I was thinking, ‘Why am I in school again?’ but Mr. Palmer inspired me to stay. Teachers like that are very good to have — the first few classes are very important for keeping kids engaged,” Jaysin adds.

After about six months of attending classes, Jaysin decided to look for a job that he could accommodate along with his schoolwork. He found a job at Global Public Safety, where he started working on and building police cars.

When NASCAR Tech ended its night courses, Jaysin needed a job that was compatible with his new schedule. He transitioned to working part time in the maintenance and service department at Flow Nissan in Fayetteville, North Carolina — a workplace he shared with another UTI graduate (and now instructor) Frank Mendoza.

Coming Full Circle

Classes continued, and Jaysin remained inspired to learn thanks to his instructors in the core Automotive Technology program, as well as the NASCAR specialized training program. One of his biggest takeaways from attending UTI was the way everyone was united in their shared interest of cars and had the same goals of learning and finding success in the industry.

“People from all walks of life can get together and get along. The school is great at bringing people together. The teachers get people to do their best. I can’t say enough good things, and I’m glad they had me do the speech (at graduation),” he says.

After graduating at the end of October 2021, Jaysin transitioned back to his job at Global Public Safety, which reached out to him after hearing he had graduated. They offered him more money and better hours thanks to his recent education, and he gladly went back to the role.⁵

“I realized working at Flow Nissan that I wanted to do more than maintenance. I feel more fulfilled building police cars — I’m building things that will get used for good,” he says.

Working on police cars as his career feels like a full-circle moment for Jaysin, since both of his parents were in law enforcement. “I made my dad proud working on police cars,” he says. “I’ll send him pictures of what I’m working on. For years, my dad was trying to get me to work at the police department to build the cars, which is so funny — 20 years later I finally am.”

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Apart from his full-time job, Jaysin keeps busy and always likes to have a project (or several) that he’s working on in the garage.

“I want to start a side business building Factory Five hot rods,” he says. “I just finished building one, and about 10 years ago I built a Shelby Cobra for my dad … if it’s fast or loud, I’m into it.”

For those interested in the automotive industry, Jaysin has a lot of advice to offer. One of the main points he likes to drive home is the importance of doing your best.

“As long as you’re doing your best, you’re not going to feel bad about yourself — even if you fail. If you’ve tried your hardest, your best is good enough,” he says. “This is what I tell my kids, and this is what I live by. It’s gotten me to where I am today, and I’ve done pretty much everything I’ve wanted to do. It’s how you have the fullest life, and you won’t have any regrets,” he adds.

These sentiments and advice were echoed in the graduation speech that Jaysin delivered on that exciting day in October 2021.

His thoughts were summed up perfectly in the last few sentences of his speech, where Jaysin told his fellow classmates, “I want to challenge you to keep learning new things, keep showing up on time, keep giving your best efforts — and you will prove not just to others, but to yourself that ‘You are the best tool for the job.’ ”

Train for the Automotive Industry at NASCAR Tech

Do you share the same passion toward the automotive industry as Jaysin? Attending NASCAR Tech’s Automotive Technology program can help prepare you for an exciting career in the field in less than a year.⁷ You can also look into furthering your education with the 15-week NASCAR Technician Training program.

Request more information today to connect with an Admissions Representative who can help answer any questions you may have!