PALMER RAPIDS – The auto repair field may be a male-dominated profession, but that has not intimidated or stopped Bethany Keller from pursuing her dream to be an Automotive Service Technician Mechanic.
Her first interest in mechanics was sparked somewhat by chance. In Grade 10, she mistakenly entered the wrong code when registering for a wood tech course. Instead, she found herself enrolled in the automotive class. On a whim, she decided to give it a try and see what it was all about.
The gamble paid off for Keller. She discovered she not only enjoyed, but excelled in the course. She ended up taking auto-shop class throughout her remaining secondary school years, along with only one other female student. Before long Keller could see herself pursuing a future career in the auto mechanics industry.
After completing high school however, Keller wanted to make sure this was indeed the field for her. She decided to take an Automotive Power Technician course at Algonquin College, School of Advanced Technology (now called Motive Power Technician), in Ottawa, which at the time consisted of three semesters of studies and training.
At the beginning of the semester, Keller said that she was one of only two girls in the class of 50 students. By the time she completed her year, there were less than 20, a graduating class which included herself and the other female who started out.
Get your September 28, 2016 edition of The Valley Gazette to read the full story.