UTI Grad Isabella Brown-Maske Shares Her Journey to Becoming a Ford Technician

Passion is often learned, but how often is it pursued? For one UTI graduate, the auto industry was a long-time shared passion, but never a profession in her family. She had roadblocks and setbacks, but nothing stopped this technician from becoming what she wanted to be.

Learn more about Isabella and her pathway to becoming a Ford lube technician below!

A Generational Love for Cars

Meet Isabella Brown-Maske, a 20-year-old who has had a burning passion for cars and trucks since childhood. She works as a lube technician at Future Ford in Clovis, but her journey started way back with her grandfathers, Earl and Jean. Earl was always surrounded by tools and vehicles, and Isabella got her hands dirty helping him out.

“As I grew up around my grandfather, Earl, he would always have tools laying around and cars surrounding the house,” Isabella recalls. “The hoods would be open or they would be propped up on jacks. As usual, I was the flashlight child and the ‘go grab this’ child.  As I got older, I would become more involved with helping him work on his cars or tractors.”

Grandpa Jean, on the other hand, was a big NASCAR fan and loved fixing bikes before passing away when Isabella was young. Although he didn’t have the opportunity to work on cars with her as she got older, he certainly had a lasting impact in instilling her love for fast engines.

“I do wish I was able to help him fix up his bikes before he passed,” Isabella tells us. “Luckily, I was able to keep some of the hats that he wore in his NASCAR room.”

Training at UTI Sacramento

When she reached ninth grade, Isabella knew that she wanted to turn her love for all things automotive into a career. She took automotive classes throughout high school, learning the ropes and growing more and more comfortable with cars. Just before graduation, she met a recruiter from Universal Technical Institute (UTI). This meeting was a game-changer; it cemented her decision to take her knowledge of cars and trucks to the next level.

But getting to UTI would be no easy task for Isabella. Coming from a very small town in California, it would mean moving to a big city miles away from home.

“When I relocated from Raymond to Sacramento, I was scared,” Isabella shares with us. “I didn't have a job and I didn’t know anyone. Throughout my life it has only been my mom and my two sisters.

Isabella wasn’t deterred, however, and packed her bags and made the move to Sacramento, even landing a job as a VDT assistant with an AutoZone while she went to school.¹

Finding Her Confidence as a Female Technician

Being a female in this industry, you have to get used to being one of the few in the classroom, dealership or wherever your journey takes you. And that means needing a lot of confidence as you go, as Isabella says. But something Isabella learned in her training at UTI: She knew her stuff.

“Throughout my time in UTI I gained more confidence in myself,” says Isabella. “I really thought I would go to the school being one of the least knowledgeable people, I really had low expectations for myself.  But honestly, I was pretty well educated about cars.  I felt like I surprised many people too. It was a big kicker for me and really launched my drive to do my best.”

Isabella soon became what she described as the “Hermione Granger of UTI,” quickly ready to raise her hand to answer or ask a question. That’s when she knew she was ready for more, so she completed her core training and went further with specialized training in the Ford FACT program.¹¹

The Ford FACT specialized training program at Universal Technical provides 15 weeks of authorized Ford Motor Company Technician training.⁸ Students get the opportunity to train on an array of models from this American-made brand while earning valuable credentials to prepare them for a path toward Master Tech status.

“Things got even better when I joined Ford FACT,” says Isabella. “The class overall was amazing, and I miss my instructors and classmates.”

As she neared graduation, she felt a mix of sadness about leaving UTI and excitement about the opportunities ahead.

“I really enjoyed my time and I knew I was going to miss it,” Isabella shares with us. “I was so unsure of what I was supposed to do next or go next.  I'm very happy I was able to find a good job after class.”

It wasn’t too long before Isabella earned a role as a lube technician for Future Ford.¹ Although happy to find a job doing what she enjoys, Isabella isn’t satisfied until she’s met her ultimate goal: becoming a master technician.

“I'm happy with the decision I made and I'm proud of myself that I got this far,” says Isabella. “I'm the first of my sisters and most of my family to graduate college.”

Pursue Your Passion Through UTI

If you’re ready to pursue a career doing what you love like Isabella did, we are ready to help provide the training. We enroll year-round, so you can get started when you’re ready.