She doesn’t ride a motorcycle, but she can fix one! A recent Garland ISD graduate has already made history and she’s just getting started. NBC 5’s Noelle Walker explains how her love of motorcycles could help pay for college.
Alexa Garcia-Alexander is spending the first part of her summer training for the SkillsUSA National Competition. She is the first female from Garland ISD and the first female in Texas to win the category at the state competition.
"I feel like I have to win now," Garcia-Alexander said. "I'm a girl doing this, and there's a lot of added pressure."
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WATCH HEREThat's because it's still a male-dominated field. Garcia-Alexander started taking classes at Garland ISD last year and was one of two young women in the class.
"A young woman can do this just as well as a man can," Garland ISD outdoor power sports teacher Thomas Pablo said. "The difference is, it's that stereotype of is it what women should do?"
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SIGN UP Pablo said the answer is yes—that women tend to be more organized and have greater attention to detail. Both of those traits are helpful when working on cars or motorcycles.
In winning the state SkillsUSA motorcycle service technology competition, Garcia-Alexander made history.
"It didn't really register that I had won until I'm, like, walking out and I'm like, oh, I won! You know," Garcia-Alexander said.
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"This will be our fourth time going to Nationals and the first time with a young lady," Pablo said.
Garcia-Alexander said she has an "underdog" mindset. It might just be her superpower.
"I feel like that helps me because if I try to learn as much as I can, assuming that everyone automatically knows it, then at some point, I pass everyone in knowledge," Garcia-Alexander said.
She will spend the next month training and memorizing to get ready for Nationals.
"Everyone has pressure to win, but because I'm the exception, there's a lot more pressure to win."
The SkillsUSA National Competition is June 23 in Atlanta.
