Women's Industry Network (WIN) has launched its newly reimagined scholarship program for the 2022-2023 academic year, designed to attract women to collision repair professions. The updated program now offers increased levels of support, including not only financial awards, but also mentorship, special networking opportunities, and membership to the esteemed organization, which is gifted by WIN to any female student in an accredited collision repair program.
As WIN Scholarship Committee Co-chairs Laura Kottschade and Jeanne Esquivel prepare for the impending scholarship applications, they reflect upon the history and success-stories attributed to the long-standing scholarship. Several of these stories were shared during the 2022 WIN Educational Conference, held both virtually and live in Greenville, S.C. this past May.
"It's important to recognize where you have been as an organization and to follow our scholarship winners through their career journeys," Kottschade said. "When we were making major changes to our scholarship program, we were not only thinking about what the current life of a student looks like. We wanted to see what their lives were going to look like after graduation and beyond. Our committee looked at past winners to determine what changes needed to be made for the future."
"Everyone is always curious to know more about our scholarship recipients," Esquivel adds. "Our committee takes great pride in being able to share multiple success stories with our member base. The WIN mission is to attract, retain, and develop women in the collision repair industry. We are honored to highlight successful women in the industry who got their start as beneficiaries of the WIN scholarship program."
Through the "Where Are They Now?" initiative, WIN maintains contact and ongoing engagement with past scholarship winners. The Scholarship Committee is proud to highlight the progress these ladies are making.
Jessica Neri, 2011 recipient
Until she was 23-years-old, Neri held one dead-end job after another, but her path changed when she was hired at a body shop.
"I was passionate about it," she noted. "This career was something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life."
Since graduating from the Automotive Refinish Technology program at the College of Western Idaho in 2012, Neri worked as a lead production painter before being hired at PPG, where she is now a Commercial Regional Manager. While being one of the only females in her position has sometimes required working harder to be accepted in a male-dominated industry, she assures young ladies interested in automotive.
"That is 100 percent okay," she said. "You don't have to be 'one of the guys' to fit into this industry. Once you prove yourself, you'll have loyal co-workers and customers who will do anything to help you succeed."
Jasmine Storey, 2016 recipient
In middle school, Storey became enthralled with the idea of a career in the collision repair industry while watching MTV's "Pimp My Ride".
"Restoring a vehicle back to its pre-accident condition is a science and requires skill that few have. The idea of being part of that exclusive group was appealing to me," she said.
In 2016, while pursuing her education, Storey was selected as a WIN scholarship recipient.
"WIN has truly changed my life," she said. The WIN scholarship came at a time when I was discouraged and even considered leaving school."
After graduating from UTI, she worked at Nationwide Insurance as a material damage adjuster for a year. From 2018 through 2020, she worked for Service King, assessing vehicle damage and writing initial estimates, before relocating to Chicago to take a technical services representative trainee role with Sherwin-Williams' Automotive Finishes Division. Since completing her curriculum, she has worked almost exclusively in the field: training new painters, conducting product demos, and assisting and managing installs and color verification.
"I'm happy to report that I'm where I'm supposed to be," Storey said. "I love being more hands-on in an application-centric part of the business, and my co-workers reassure me of the awesome potential the industry has."
She hopes to grow in her current role and department, helping teach others to be their best.
"I want to be the best eye for color verification and to be part of any process that makes painters and shop personnel better and more productive," Storey noted. "I met wonderful people through WIN, and I'll forever be grateful for the opportunities and encouragement I've received. I can call on my mentors anytime. They advise and challenge me. They're willing to condition me to be my best."
Savannah Moran, 2019 recipient
In 2017, Moran began doing small jobs in a collision repair shop owned by her boyfriend's dad.
"As I saw wrecked vehicles being restored to pre-collision condition, I started to fall in love with the work and decided to attend school for auto body," Moran said.
Being awarded the WIN scholarship allowed to her pay for tools and equipment that better prepared her for a successful career, plus networking at the annual WIN Educational Conference forced her to overcome some of her social anxiety and meet women in the industry who have continued to support her. Moran worked as a collision repair technician during college until it fell out of alignment with her course schedule, but she is pleased to announce she is about to begin her "dream" career as a service advisor/estimator with a major organization in the collision industry. When asked to give advice to young women interested in the automotive industry, she pointed to never losing confidence.
"You're going to have people who talk to you differently because you are a woman – always be passionate and confident in your work," she said.
Hannah Quinteros, 2019 recipient
Quinteros studied to be a horticulture science and landscaping technician, but after working a year in the field, she realized she was not passionate about her career choice. Soon after, her Jeep sustained damage and rather than pay a shop to repair it, she opted to do it herself.
"I started messing around with my Jeep, and I really enjoyed it," Quinteros said. "When I was younger, I'd spray paint and tinker with stuff. I've always been interested in the collision repair industry. I find it fascinating, but that's when I thought it may actually be a good job for me."
While in school in 2019, Quinteros was chosen as a WIN scholarship recipient and attended the 2019 WIN Educational Conference.
"It was really an eye-opener," she recalled. "I gained a bigger picture of the industry as a whole. Many of the women I met used to do bodywork but have branched out into other industries. I learned a lot and met some amazing people, including the other scholarship winners. I feel like I can call them anytime I need to."
Quinteros now works as a body tech at Crown Automotive in Lawrence, Kan.
"I repair all the used cars with minor damage, do some R&I, work on mirrors, do a little paint prep – I try to dabble in a little of everything to stay busy and learn as much as I can," she noted.
Acquiring the right education is vital, and Quinteros encourages those interested in a career in the industry to do their research on schools to ensure they are finding the right fit.
"Talk to enrolled students to make sure the curriculum offers what you want to learn," she said. "I feel like I got more networking opportunities from my formal education than actual experience, but fortunately, my employer is supportive of continuing education and pursuing certifications. Find a job that will work with you on all standpoints of your life, and when you're interviewing, stand your ground on your experience. Find a place that actually values you, and the skills you're bringing to the table. I had an offer as a detailer who would pick up the repair slack as needed. I recognized that it could be a dead-end job forever, and I refused it since I know my worth and what I'm capable of accomplishing."
Jamie Frey, 2020 recipient
Growing up with a machinist for a dad, Frey was always at the racetrack and around cars.
"I ran barefoot through the garage for the first eight years of my life," Frey said.
Although she wrenched for a long time, she knew that wasn't what she wanted to do long-term, and when a friend suggested damage appraisal and estimating as a career path, she enrolled in school, competing and placing in several regional Skills USA competitions. She took first place at Skills USA National for Damage Appraisal in both 2021 and 2022. After completing school at Aims Community College, Frey is happily working at Iron Mountain Collision in Loveland, Colo.
Receiving the WIN scholarship lessened the financial burden of attending school for this single mother of three, allowing her to pursue her passion for automotive.
"It makes me who I am, and I wouldn't trade it for the world," she said.
You can be a scholarship recipient, too
"We are proud of the talent that has been cultivated for our industry as a direct result of the WIN Scholarship Program," said Tanya Sweetland, WIN chair. "The program upgrades designed by our dedicated volunteers on the Scholarship Committee will attract even more women to collision repair, and we are looking forward to receiving and awarding a record number of applications this fall thanks to their exceptional efforts."
WIN is accepting scholarship applications from September 12 through October 8 for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Apply for or learn about WIN's scholarship program here. For more information about WIN, click here.
