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