Eleven-year-old Steven Thompson III from Boise, ID became the youngest detailer, at age 11, ever to earn a professional certification in automotive detailing from the International Detailing Association (IDA). He earned the certification during the Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando, Florida in January.
STEV3, as he is known to his friends, was formally recognized for his achievement at the closing awards ceremony at Mobile Tech Expo where he caught the attention of master detailer Rigo Santana.
The young detailing phenom was reportedly headed to Los Angeles where Santana, who is a recognized independent trainer for the IDA, was to make STEV3 a member of his New Generation of Detailers (NGDD) network and test him for the IDA’s highest level of certification — Skills Validated (SV).