RepairPal is proud to introduce #WrenchWomenWednesday with Katie French, Automotive Repair Expert. Each week, Katie will highlight a woman’s story in the automotive industry, sharing their accomplishments, highlights in their career, and struggles of where they came from and where they are today.
Back by popular demand- here is our first reboot of #WrenchingWomenWednesday! This week, we are proud to feature DieselGirl Missy Albin. Missy is a Senior Lead Technician at International Trucks, a Female Ambassador Technician for TechEmPowerment, and she’s also ASE Certified, Cummins Certified, as well as an ASE Keynote Speaker.
This is Missy’s story
I was adopted as a baby and my adoptive parents wanted nothing but the best for me. I was raised around cars with an OCD father and a controlling mother, and I wasn’t allowed to be curious in ways I tried to be at a young age. I was that little girl in white dresses that would come home with mud all over her from catching polliwogs or I would take things apart to see what it looked like inside. I would get into trouble for being curious and exploring myself. I felt ashamed
for being me. It led to identity issues, living a double life. I was a varsity cheerleader, and I didn’t fit in. After games and practices, I’d say I was with them, but I would just be off changing alternators or building audio systems for cars. I was called “boy crazy” by my mom. I wasn’t- we were just like-minded.
I felt like it was me against the world, and even now, sometimes I still feel that way.
I chose to go off trail and make my own path in the woods instead of following the typical “Four-year success plan”. With little-to-no support, I took control of my life and left college after two semesters. All the jake-brake sounds going past my classroom windows was what called my soul to this path. Trying to make my mom happy all the time made me not able to find myself. I just wasn’t a complete version of “me”. Unfortunately, you can’t nurture the nature out of anyone.
Fast-forward, I’ve been a technician with Navistar International Trucks and IC school buses for 13 years. I reached my IC Masters in 2011 and my IH Masters in 2017 and I am considered a Master now in Navistar products. I am taking my ASE and Cummins training and recertification every year with Navistar training. Keep in mind, I have never had formal training- I did this on. my. own. with very little support. I love my patches. They mean so much to me, and I am proud of myself. I have had two mentors in each dealership that helped me become successful in my career and they are my role models
Surviving the trenches, I don’t want other females to have to tread as much as I did. I want to change this industry, so I became the Female Ambassador Technician for Tech EmPowerment through International Trucks. It is still a dream come true. I was also invited to be a Keynote Panelist Speaker for ASE to discuss the “2% solution’”. The support for female technicians are out there! It’s amazing to be part of this industry. Keep chasing those dreams- no matter how hard it gets- they do come true.
-Dieselgirl Missy Albin
Connect with Missy on Twitter or Instagram
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.
