Many trades like construction, automotive, heavy equipment, and welding are male-dominated fields. In fact, according to Zippia.com, females in these types of fields make up just 3-6% of the workforce, depending on the industry. With a continued need for skilled workers nationwide, this presents a great opportunity for women to help fill these gaps.
March is known as Women in the Trades Month, and we’re taking the opportunity to introduce you to some of our female students who are breaking the gender stereotypes in these fields. Peyton Calvo is one of them, a senior in the Auto Tech program at Donald R. Kline Technical School from Greenville Central School District. She is also president of the school’s SkillsUSA chapter.
Peyton has always been interested in the automotive world, thanks to growing up around it with family. She often watched her father fix things, wondering how he did it. Knowing that she’s now an automotive student, you’re probably thinking she helped her dad in the garage.
“I never even asked,” Peyton said. “It wasn’t a thing when I was younger. None of the other females in my family did so I never even considered it, no matter how curious I was. But as I got older, I wanted to challenge myself. I knew it would be difficult, but Questar III has made it easy for me.”
But Peyton has far more interest than just being an automotive mechanic, she wants to race cars! But not just any cars… her ultimate goal is to drive a truck for Monster Jam one day.
“I love speed and understanding what makes a car go as fast as it can go,” Peyton said. “Anytime I hear a fast car, I’ve gotta look. I also love car cosmetics and bodywork. I knew coming here would give me a foundation to understand all of that.”
Peyton is one of four females in her automotive program, but it’s not the first time she’s been outnumbered in the classroom. She took a motorsport technology class at her home district where she was the only female.
“I think it comes down to the attitude you have,” Peyton shared. “You can’t have the mindset that they’re going to treat you differently. Lucky for me, working with the guys here has been great, and the sooner they learned what I could do, the sooner they accepted me. But I did feel like I had to earn my spot here a little bit because there aren’t a lot of women in this field.”
Automotive students like Peyton learn a vast array of skills. She shared that in her junior year, she learned basic automotive skills like changing tires, oil changes, alignments, and brake services. Now a senior, the tasks have become more intricate, with an opportunity for exploration.
“I was able to bring a vehicle in that needed some work,” Peyton shared. “I totally ripped the car apart, fixed it, and put it back together. It was a great experience for me, a self-taught moment. Mr. Bartholomew, my teacher, gave me the freedom to figure it out on my own, but still guided and supported me along the way.”
All this experience prepared her for her first automotive job at RC Lacy Ford, Lincoln, Subaru in Catskill, NY where she works as a Quick Lane Tech.
“I wouldn’t be working at this job without Questar III,” said Peyton. “They completely prepared me for the job where I now work six days a week. I’ll also continue to work there this summer before I head off to college.”
Peyton has been accepted into the High-Performance Motor Sports program at the University of Northeastern Ohio where she will learn how to build and race monster trucks. She’s also preparing to be just one of a few females in the program.
“Without Questar III, I really don’t know where I would be,” said Peyton. “Now I have a job, I’m confident that I can go to college and own it, I can walk into a classroom and not worry about what people think. Questar III has taught me a lot about who I am, where I stand, and that I am just as capable as anyone else.”
When asked if Peyton had any advice for young girls interested in joining a male-dominated field, she didn’t hesitate.
“Don’t change yourself for anyone else,” Peyton said. “Don’t ever feel like you have to fit into a certain category, because anything is possible. Just be you.”
