Today we're interviewing Jenni Engelbrecht, a student at Butler Community College, and a talented young woman preparing to begin a career in the collision repair industry.
Jen: As a young woman entering the field, what made you decide on this career path?
Jenni: I’ve loved cars from a young age, how they looked, the culture around them, how each model and design is unique, etc. After high school I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue, so my dad encouraged me to find a career path that would let me combine my love of cars with my creativity.
At first going into the collision repair industry was intimidating. I was imagining a class full of guys who all had a background in the field and already knew what they were doing. It turns out that I fit right in! I love the classes and get along great with the other students.
Jen: What advice would you give to other young women entering this field?
Jenni: I would tell them that if this is what they want to do, they shouldn't let social norms or their own doubts get in their way, they should go for it!
Jen: What are two of your favorite things you've been learning so far?
Jenni: In general I love whenever we start a new topic. Each new thing we cover becomes my new favorite. We just learned about painting which was really interesting, especially since the college just got a pinstriping kit which I've been practicing with. In fact, I just did a complete refinish on my own car. I had to do some dent pulling and then I painted the car with all different metallic colors and, finally, I put a star on the side.
I also like writing estimates. Figuring out what’s wrong with a car as well as working with the owners and other parties is really rewarding. I like the problem-solving aspect and the fact that I'm helping make someone's car whole again.
Jen: You were recently awarded a 2,500 scholarship by The I-CAR Education Foundation, in conjunction with AkzoNobel Coatings Inc. and The Most Influential Women of the Collision Repair Industry; please tell us about your honor.
Jenni: Receiving this award has been really exciting. I was kind of floored when I found out that I was chosen out of all the entrants from about 300 colleges. It's been just amazing. I had tried applying last year but was too late, so this year we made sure my application was filled out early. My application included the form and an essay, in which I wrote about how I chose to go into this industry and how I had chosen to study at Butler.
Check out Butler Community College's blog article on Jenni's award here!
Jen: I know you are a Contributing Blog Author for Butler Community College's blog--what has that been like?
Jenni: Writing for the blog has been a new experience; it’s a whole different dimension. I like that I get to share my experiences with everyone who reads the blog. Anyone who wants to can read my articles and learn from my experiences.
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