Each week for Wrenching Women Wednesday, we focus our efforts on shining a light on Women in Automotive and their journey’s in automotive. This week, we would like to introduce Sabrina Pasha, Diesel Technician for Allegiance Trucks Hartford/Springfield, Connecticut.
This is Sabrina’s story
“I didn’t always want to be a mechanic. When I was little I wanted to be a firefighter, police officer, and then for a very long time I wanted to be a veterinarian. If I went back in time and told my younger self I was going to be a diesel technician, there would be a lot of questioning of what that even is. In all honesty, I didn’t know anything about the trade until I graduated high school early and started working at Dattco in 2014 as a fueler. I remember walking into the shop one day and one of the mechanics asked me if I wanted to try taking lug nuts off with the one inch gun. I picked up the impact and could barely hold it. I took off one lug nut and was like I’m good! I transferred to another location in 2015 and my foreman and the other mechanics saw something in me. I started to learn what it meant to be a mechanic. They taught me how to take off the big tires and had me start changing the lights every free moment I had. My foreman ended up putting in a good word for me to start in the diesel tech apprenticeship that DATTCO has. It was one year of classroom training and then four years of working and learning in the field.
I became International School Bus Certified and Cummins Certified. Learning as much as I could, I got thrown into doing engine work more than anything, and then at the last shop I went to I was all diagnostics, the road tech and yard tech. I never thought I would find a job where I had so many people stand behind me and push me along the way to give me the knowledge I have now.
I finally left after almost eight years of working for the company and got into the trucking side of things. I now work at Allegiance Trucks, an International dealership and just got my International Trucks and School Bus Certifications done again and working back to being Cummins Certified again. I am one of their diagnostic techs which is a big thing to me. Advice I have to give to those that have no clue what they want to do or think they can’t, would have to be to be true to yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to. Let the path take you and follow your dreams. Do not let a single person say you can’t do something because you can. Life is too short, show yourself off. You don’t need strength to be in this field or to be smart. It’s all about wanting to learn and knowing how to use your tools and what you have learned and putting it in everything you do.”
-Sabrina Pasha
About Katie French
Katie French is an Automotive Repair Expert at RepairPal. Her love for the automotive industry began at a young age learning how to fix bicycles and driving around the neighborhood in a pink Power Wheels Jeep. To pursue a career in the field, Katie attended NEIT for Advanced Automotive Technology out in East Greenwich, RI. Since graduating from the automotive program, Katie has worn many hats in the auto industry over the years, and has treated every day as a school day. She currently is working toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Management with a concentration in Fleet Management from Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, MO. In her free time, Katie enjoys empowering women in skilled trades, Jeep builds, and spending time with her family.
