Under Pressure, Girls Do It Better
By Mia, age 17, North Carolina
Sweet Advice Featured Columnist
Ever been told, "That's a man's job?" "Girls can't drive straight?" "You'll hurt yourself if you lift that?"
Sounds familiar, yeah, I know it does. I've heard it all my life from family, friends, new people, everyone. Well, now I'm saying, "Hey you, shut up! I can do what makes me happy, and I'll bet I can do it better!"
I'm here to announce I am now enrolled in NASCAR Technical Institute, and will be moving within two weeks and starting classes on August 2nd, if not sooner. I'm here to say, "Let go of what everyone says - forget about it! Do what makes you happy."
I know so many people - teen moms, young high school graduating girls - who have given up a dream of something better because they have been told over and over again that they cannot do it! But, you know, all it takes is two words - Shut up! Don't sit and listen to someone tear away your dreams or take away something that you're truly interested in because they say you can't do it. How do they know? How do you know until you try.
If you let someone take away your dreams you're letting them run your life. On my tour of NTI, the guy who was showing me the tour flat out told me WOMEN have more job opportunities in this field. They seek out women more. Women make better automotive techs. Yet in the school of 2,500 students in this one location there are only an average of about 60 female students. I'll make you a bet that there are girls growing up right now trying to help daddy change the oil, and daddy says, "You can't, you'll get dirty," or "This is a guy thing."
I don't want my daughter to see me settle for a job I hate, or constantly complain about wanting a better life. So I'm going for it - that way one day when she gets older and asks me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I can say, "I'm doing it!"
Don't say you're going to be a singer, dancer, rock star, writer, teacher, doctor - DO IT! If you love it, do it! I'm tired of people saying, "This doesn't make that much money; I'd like to have a better paying career." What's the point of having money if you're too depressed with your life to do something with it?? Every job has a good chance of earnings if you focus and teach yourself what you need to know. If you're a single mom, a teenage grad, or anyone anywhere, don't settle for McDonald's because you're afraid of the risk. LIVE THE DREAM AND BE HAPPY.
My hope, as my year progresses, is to bring a new twist to SDM with my Auto Tech classes, because, you know, who's to say what is and what isn't a girl thing?!
I have a dream of having my own auto shop and magazine called PinUp, and you know what? I'm going for it!
Whatever you truly want to do, go for it!
