Alhambra USD HS Seniors Awarded Achievement Scholarships

The Alhambra Unified School District held its 54th Annual Automotive Technicians’ Awards Night on May 11, 2023, celebrating the achievements of high school seniors in the Automotive Technology programs at Alhambra, Mark Keppel, and San Gabriel High Schools. As part of the festivities, the Second Annual Sherwood Lee Memorial Fund established by the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run Committee & Family of Sherwood Lee presented one student from each of the AUSD High Schools with a $500 scholarship and a certificate proclaiming them as the Sherwood Lee Outstanding Automotive Students of the Year, selected by their respective High School Auto Shop teacher.

Margaret Lee, Sherwood’s widow shared Sherwood’s passion for restoring cars and teaching automotive class at the ceremony. After he left San Gabriel High School, Sherwood became a freelance photographer and technical writer under the title Photographic-Lee Productions. For his next business, Seine Systems, he invented and sold devices that helped sports cars run efficiently. Sherwood was a fixture of the Porsche owner-enthusiast scene. The Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run Committee honors Sherwood Lee who was not only a beloved long-time auto mechanics teacher at San Gabriel High School but was also a founding member and race director of the annual Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run.

Sherwood Lee worked on the core committee that has planned and implemented every Firecracker event since the very first Firecracker 10K run. Sherwood had provided leadership and a profound commitment to the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run Committee (LACFRC) since 1978, serving various roles during the decades of his service. Sherwood had been Race Director, Official Photographer, board member, and most recently, the technical writer developing the committee’s manual of standard operating procedures. He was known for his warm, witty humor, strong moral compass, sense of adventure, and dedication to his family.

This year’s Sherwood Lee Memorial Fund Scholarship was awarded to:

- Quyen “Andy” Quoc Pan from Alhambra High School

- Tyler Minohara from Mark Keppel High School

- Danny Tran from San Gabriel High School.

Quyen “Andy” Quoc Pan plans to attend Rio Hondo Community College. He has participated in an internship at a Harley Davidson Customization Shop and is interested in becoming an auto technician. According to Pan, “I love learning about the intricacy and mechanism of machines, and as a mechanic I am about to pursue my fascination as well as help out other people with their problems.”

Tyler Minohara plans to attend Rio Hondo Community College to acquire his bachelor’s degree in automotive technology. He has obtained entry level ASE Certification for Brakes, Maintenance and Light Repair, Automobile Service Technology, Manual Drive Train and Axles, and Automatic Transmission and Transaxle (a total of 9 of 10 certifications), as well as all data certification, and Slide Caliper Measurement Certification. According to Minohara "The importance of gaining automotive skills is that we can understand how the car works and we will be able to fix your car. We drive vehicles every day, so we can fix or maintain or fix your car."

Danny Tran will be attending CalState University LA and competed in the SkillsUSA State Competition for Automotive. According to Tran, “I am interested in electrical engineering because it is the future of humanity and I wish to be a part of that foreseeable vision that is to come. I want to contribute to finding a way to save the planet by moving from diesel, gasoline, and other fossil fuels to electricity."

Continuing its legacy as one of the largest and oldest running races celebrating Lunar New Year in the U.S. with its 5/10 Run, Walk, Cycling, Kiddie and PAW’er dog walking events, the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker is produced by the nonprofit LACFRC, a group of volunteers who donate their time and energy to organize and stage events and programs promoting healthy lifestyles, fitness, cultural awareness, supports education and encourages community participation. LACFRC continues to give back with proceeds reinvested in the community providing service and programs benefiting elementary schools and local nonprofit organizations.

For more information on the Sherwood Lee Memorial Fund and the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker which will celebrate 46 years with its upcoming February 2024 events, please visit https://firecracker10k.org/.