OTC automotive alumni Samantha Ramos (AT-193/2013) was drawn to a career in the industry because she enjoyed working with her hands and knew sitting at a desk doing book-work was not her style. “OTC was a great stepping-stone into the industry. The training hours were great for my ability to work and handle the training. The hands-on experience was what helped me the most.” Ramos was fortunate to work for an employer who understood her training schedule. “Having a job that supports school hours was a large help. They didn’t give me a hard time if I had to leave early for school. It motivated me to want to learn more while at school so I could bring it back to work and be a better technician.”

Ramos graduated from an all-female high school and then walked into a mostly male student population. “I never once felt out of place at OTC”. In a February 2013 OTC newsletter, Ramos was featured as a successful, high-achieving student. When asked about being a woman in a male-dominated industry her reply was, “I don’t want to encourage the stereotype that women don’t know as much as the guys. If I don’t know it, it’s because I didn’t study hard enough.” Ganley Honda, North Olmsted is a fast-paced, high volume sales and service dealership in NE Ohio where Ramos is the only female Certified Honda Technician. She found, “focusing on one brand is a lot easier. When you work on the same type of car all the time you memorize a lot of things that help get the job done more efficiently. You learn the common service issues this brand experiences and can quickly diagnose and fix the problem.” Ramos loves her job and loves working at Ganley.

Her advice to the new generation of women coming into the industry, “Do what you love. Some guys take a little longer to fully process working with a female because they try to change how they talk or act while in the workplace. Just be you. You’re there to better yourself and succeed. Not everyone is your friend.”