JSfirm.com Announces 2026 Student and Educator of the Year Aviation Awards
JSfirm.com has announced the honorees of its 2026 aviation awards: Micheal “Mike” McDaniel received the James Rardon Student of the Year award, and Osmin Ramirez received the Ivan D. Livi Aviation Maintenance Educator of the Year award.
These awards are sponsored by JSFirm.com in partnership with the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC).
Ivan D. Livi Aviation Maintenance Educator of the Year Osmin Ramirez has more than eight years of experience in aviation maintenance, both in civilian and military service. He’s currently an aviation maintenance educator at Universal Technical Institute. His areas of expertise include:
- Aircraft systems
- Operational standards
- Regulatory requirements
One of Ramirez’s key focuses has been developing new learning experiences based on real-world scenarios for aviation maintenance students to learn practically, transitioning from traditional lectures.
James Rardon Student of the Year Micheal “Mike” McDaniel currently studies at Alabama Aviation College—part of Enterprise State Community College. Having maintained a 3.92 GPA, he is one of the top AMT students in his program, which contains 584 students.
McDaniel—a father and husband—shows continuous dedication to his family and his work as a full-time truck driver, while remaining dedication to his aviation maintenance studies.
McDaniel has also spent significant time volunteering, such as:
- Traveling to serve meals to Ronald McDonald House residents at Thanksgiving
- Helping maintain his college’s radial engine and rebuilding a Cessna’s propellers
- Transporting a Cessna aircraft to the college from a dual-enrollment location
Both honorees show unwavering commitment to the aviation industry and the specialty of aircraft maintenance.