Congratulations to Angelina who was awarded a $10,000 NASCAR / Brienne Davis Memorial Tuition Scholarship.
Ever since Angelina was a little girl, her family would travel 10 hours to ride sand rails in the desert. Together, with her grandparents and father, they assembled a soap box car from scratch; racing it for four years.
At the age of 14, Angelina began racing quarter midget cars, developing interest and understanding for maintaining all aspects of proper vehicle care. As her passion for riding and working on quads continued, Angelina began racing Micro-Sprint cars through sponsorships from local businesses. Every weekend, Angelina can be found either racing or helping other race teams win. She mentors 5-13 year old kids about the basics of racing, from safety, to changing tires and driving.
“My dream is to be able to combine my hobby with my career. My end goal is to be a part of NASCAR, either as a driver or part of a team. Being a racer myself, I can understand the dedication and commitment it takes to excel in either. To impact the industry, I plan to be a successful woman in a male-dominated field. I want to be respected and make a contribution in a career that I will enjoy.”
Angelina’s career path into technical education embodies her motorsports passion. However, it took some convincing of her parents who anticipated Angelina would attend nursing school. She researched careers in NASCAR to discover that Universal Technical Institute (UTI) had the only NASCAR sponsored program in the entire United States. After conducting her research, Angelina made an appointment with her parents to visit the Sacramento campus. “They were so impressed with my determination and with UTI that I withdrew from school and signed up for UTI.”
Through the assistance of the Brienne Davis Memorial Tuition Scholarship, Angelina is turning her dream into a reality. Following her true calling and having the support from her family, Angelina will surely make great contributions and a serve as a role model for future women technicians.
