Michael W. Smith, 1994 graduate of the Ford ASSET Program and senior master technician at John Nolan Ford, qualified for the Ford Motor Company's National Ultimate Master Technician Challenge in June 2002, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Smith was one of 18 national finalists in the competition. 1800 Master Technicians entered the competition and Mr. Smith proved to be "one of the best" in the written examination and hands-on competition leading to the National Ultimate Master Technician Challenge.

The Ford ASSET program is a full-time adult workforce development program that is a partnership between Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development, Raymond Walters College-UC and participating Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships. Every ten weeks, students rotate between the Scarlet Oaks Ford ASSET lab and their sponsoring dealership. They take academic courses at Raymond Walters College-UC and earn an Associate's Degree in automotive technology at the end of the two-year program.