FEMALE STUDENT THRIVES IN MHCC’S AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM

Inside Building 18 on the Gresham campus is MHCC’s automotive program, where students learn how to work on and fix different cars.

This two-year program runs through all four academic terms each year. Mt. Hood’s automotive shops are set up with the most up-to-date training supplies and equipment to help students thrive.

One thing hasn’t changed over time: The automotive industry is a male-dominated field. I mean, go to any body shop and count how many females there are that aren’t working reception.

There is a stigma to being a woman in a male-dominated field. That goes for a lot of areas of society but with something like cars, the industry can be intimidating. There can be more judgment when a woman gets something wrong, and something as simply are not being as physically strong as their male counterparts is something that is often judged negatively. This list can go on and on.

Fortunately, that shouldn’t stop anyone from signing up for the Mt. Hood auto tech program if it’s something you are interested in pursuing as a career.

Take it from current automotive student Emma Marie Kennedy, who says she’s doing just fine. “I was definitely intimidated going into the program because I knew I would be one of the only women in our class. It made me feel like people were going to expect more from me in order to respect me in the field,” she said – that feeling so common of women working in similar conditions.

However, it’s been a smooth road so far for Kennedy, nearing the end of her third term.

“My teachers are incredible. I haven’t ever experienced any sexism… making the school environment more comfortable,” she said.

There’s also been support for her outside of Building 18. Part of this program is going out into the field and working at a local body shop for a term. Out of the eight total quarters of study, students spend quarters two, four, six, and eight working in their assigned shop, away from Mt. Hood classmates. Kennedy was the only female tech in her shop, but had no issues. “It was weird being an 18-year-old woman surrounded by 40-year-old men, but they were all very kind. I had really good time in the shop, (although) it was definitely hard,” she said. That last part is natural, and by design. “I definitely did not feel ready to go to the shop after my first term… but I think that it’s one of those things that you are never going to feel 100% ready for,” Kennedy said. Now she’s thankful and believes she learned a lot.

The shop she currently works for specializes in serving European vehicles, a nice match for her. Her first interest in cars came from when she got a 1996 Volvo 850 turbo wagon and she “immediately fell in love with it,” she said. That led to her and her dad working on it together and realizing how much she loved working on cars.

Back in the classroom, Kennedy said she is more comfortable than her first term last fall, and continues to gain confidence.

After she completes the program, “The plan right now is to potentially work for BMW or Porsche. I really like the cars they make,” she said.