Michael Valdez connects with car culture
Often we hear criticisms of social media, but the rapid change social media has caused in car culture has given Michael Valdez, senior, his dream job.
His fascination with cars began when he got his first job, working at MB2 Raceway, an indoor go-kart track. “All the guys that work there were kind of into the cars, and then I watched a lot of YouTube, and it kind of got me into cars also,” Valdez said. Valdez’s interest in cars has offered many opportunities.
Valdez is a full-time media manager for Diamond Auto Salon. He manages all photos that go up on their Instagram, Yelp and Facebook pages, “and I make YouTube videos for them,” Valdez said. Social media has not only provided Valdez with his job, but it has also connected car enthusiasts to thousands of like-minded friends. Ben Katz, NPHS alumnus, said, “I remember when people used to have Instagram just for their personal profiles and like that’s it. And then eventually [people got] a bit more creative… in the last […] probably like six or seven years now, it’s like every car has a page.’”
“I got my job through social networking… the company saw my photography on my Instagram account and reached out to me to work for them,” Valdez said.
Angel Rivera, a friend of Valdez commented, “It’s a lot easier to find what kind of car you’re into locally. So for me, I had a Gulf, and the Gulf social media situation is insane. There’s a group called SoCal Mark Seven, and they have over 2000 people,” Rivera said. “We started that group two years ago, with just a couple buddies, and now it’s over 2000 people in the local area that have Gulfs.”
The car culture of Newbury Park is open to new people and growing quickly. As the interest in cars continues to expand, Valdez’s favorite part of his job is the ability to meet new people every day.
