Alexis, 30, worked for us as a shop assistant before joining the apprenticeship program in body repair, a field where there are almost no Black women.

“I have learned so much at On the Road Garage,” Alexis says. “It's always busy here. It doesn't stop. You have to be accountable, you have to be responsible, and you can't procrastinate. When it comes to reaching out to a customer, you have to feel comfortable telling them you're going to get the job done.”

On the body shop side, she equates the process to a puzzle and finds life lessons in the work.

“If you take it apart, you need to put it back together—even better than it was before. I love that the program is hands-on and has new challenges every day,” she says.

Alexis wants to open her own body shop someday, which On the Road Lending will help finance. She says the apprenticeship program pushes her to do things she didn't know how to do and makes her believe in herself.

“My favorite thing about On the Road Garage, by far, is the family environment,” she says. “The team has welcomed me with open arms since I've been here. The piece of advice I would give someone going into the program is to challenge yourself. Just jump in!”

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