Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2001)
Feature _____________ L WEdNEsdAy, M ay 16, 2001 TI he CI ac I camas PRiNT Female automotive student first to graduate in 13 years MAGGIE JIRASEK Thunder enrolled at Clackamas in 1998 when she was 3 month pregnant. Marbella Red Thunder is the “Being an auto mechanic is not first female automotive student just something you decide to do, to graduate at Clackamas in 13 it’s something you are born with years. and you just follow it. To me, it’s Every year, usually only men like a stress reliever and I love participate in the auto mechan my job,” she said. ics program, but Red Thunder Determined to achieve her goal took on the challenge anyway of becoming an auto mechanic and joined them. and hoping to one day own her _“I felt like a dinosaur in today’s own shop, Red Thunder finished world,” she said. “Everybody the program, although many stares at you. People don’t be times she almost quit. lieve me when I tell them that I’m “It was very tough. I quit ev a female auto ery Monday for mechanic.” some time but Before coming decided to "Being an auto to Clackamas, come back,” mechanic is some Red Thunder she said. “It is worked as su mostly the per thing you are born pervisor for UPS sonalities I with." for 10 years be come up Marbella Red fore decided that against. One Thunder it was not what time a 65- year- student she wanted to old man do for the rest of dropped his car her life. off and he ex “When I was 13 years old, I clusively said that he did not changed oil on cars and I really want me to work on it.” enjoyed that. I liked my old job Knowing the obstacles that at UPS but it turned out that if I come along with being the only looked inside myself, my heart female among 20 men, Red Thun was right here, in the hood of an der saw many women enroll in engine,” said Red Thunder. the automotive program only to Unwilling to deal with the ob drop out during the first week of stacles of being a female in the school. automotive industry, Red Thun “It’s very hard to be the only der waited until she reached an female. People aren’t looking at age where she was ready to start you as a auto mechanic; they a family and follow her dreams. don’t look at your skills,” ex By joining Clackamas’ automo plained Red Thunder. “It’s not tive program, she could finally do that women don’t enroll__ it’s what she enjoyed the most. Red the stigma that comes with it. Feature Editor BIOLOGY * BICOKDAIY IDUCATION . MARKETING . SOC- tat » O «4 When I was pregnant, Thad to reach over my eight month pro truding belly to drop a four liter engine in a Jeep Cherokee all by myself because my female part ner quit the first week of school.” As a student at Clackamas, Red Thunder was given a lot of sup port from family, instructors and a counselor who helped her learn to manage stress. “I believe we had the very best electronics teacher and that was Ray Conklin. He is probably the only reason I didn’t go with quitting every Monday. He was very support ive,” said Red Thunder. “ According to Dan Flanagan with ASE (Automotive Service Excellence), women are more and more welcome in the auto motive industry. “I am for women in automo tive. In my opinion, the biggest obstacles are women them selves. They still have the im age that they are not welcome in the industry,” said Flanagan. “The truth is that women are better diagnosticians than men are and they have more pa tience.” After graduating, Red Thun der is planning on raising her three-year-old daughter and opening her own business. “I already have my own shop in my basement where I do tune-ups but I want to special ize,” she said. “Clackamas has made me a stronger person. I was following a dream and if it wasn’t really a part of who I am I would have never made it.” ‘’lUuIES. MARK VENCTUCCI / Clackamas Print FOCUS ON YOUR CAREER £l , Concordia is an accredited university recognized for quality $5 • 3 <4 Personal attention is given to make transfer as easy as possible • Most majors include mentors • and internships Merit scholarships and financial • • aid are available Day and evening classes Graduate with a resume as well as M MARK VENCTUCCI / Clackamas Print Marbella Red Thunder (right), automotive student, talks to ASE representative Dan Flanagan at the auto skills day competition. High Schools from all over Oregon participated in the auto skills competition last Friday. This years' winner was Vale High School whose team was judged best in diagnosing and correcting malfunctions in the engine. a degree CONNECT AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY 28n NE Holman St ■ Portland • Oregon • 972U 1-800-321-9371 'www.cu-portland.edu admissions@cu-portl.and.edu Choose a career that matters Nutrition Undergraduate Completion Program Explore nutrition at the foremost university for natural health sciences in the U.S. Graduates work as supportive nutrition educators, in the food industry and research or pursue advanced studies. Whole foods approach, balanced with rigorous study of human biochemistry and nutrient metabolism. Didactic Program in Dietetics option for those interested in becoming dietitians. 3-year, dual major with Exercise Science and Wellness. Kim Kellogg, CU alum. 199S Salile Mae Teach 425.602.3330 BASTYR U N I V E R S I.T Y Just north of Seattle nutrition.bastyr.edu
