May 25, 2012 - Marine Veteran Finds Success as a Civilian with Technician Training from Orlando’s Motorcycle Mechanics Institute

Former U.S. Marine Julian Jaramillo love of motorcycles led him to MMI and a new career

May 25, 2012 - As a former U.S. Marine scout sniper team leader who served in Iraq, Julian Jaramillo III is used to extreme situations. So for him, living in a tent while attending school at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) in Orlando was just another part of his journey to reinvent himself in the civilian world.

Fortunately, his tent-dwelling tenure at a local RV park lasted only a week, but Jaramillo was prepared to take whatever steps were necessary to follow his love of motorcycles. “You have to do what you have to do. I needed to make a new career - a new life for myself - and the one thing I’m passionate about, other than being a Marine, is motorcycles,” Jaramillo explained.

After 13 years in the Marines, Jaramillo had served for four years as a security contractor until an injury ended that job. He needed a new direction in his life, and a conversation with a fellow veteran pointed the way.

“My friend, who served in Vietnam, had graduated from MMI in 2000 and he told me all about it,” Jaramillo, 40, said. “I could see a future for myself as a motorcycle technician, so I made the decision to enroll.”

Jaramillo moved from Haverhill, Mass. to begin his education at MMI in October 2010. After a few days living in a tent at the Ponderosa RV Park in Kissimmee, Fla., the park maintenance manager found out Jaramillo was a military veteran and offered to let him rent a camper trailer. After a few months in the camper, Jaramillo took part in a Habitat for Humanity veteran’s project rebuilding a house in nearby St. Cloud. Once the rebuild was complete, the owner wanted to rent the home to veterans, so Jaramillo and two other MMI students, who also were veterans, moved in.

While a student at MMI, Jaramillo successfully balanced his rigorous classroom schedule with charitable outreach, including a seven-month Mission Continues Fellowship with Habitat for Humanity. The Mission Continues is a non-profit organization that challenges veterans to serve and lead in communities across America. “A lot of us are injured or disabled during our military service, but that doesn’t mean we can’t serve the community,” Jaramillo said. He also served on the MMI Student Council.

During his 18 months at MMI, Jaramillo completed the 36-week core skills program as well as elective programs for Yamaha and Harley-Davidson late- and early- model motorcycles. When he graduated on April 20, Jaramillo said he was certain that he was ready to work as a motorcycle technician. “I felt very confident in the training I received and I knew that there is an industry-wide need for trained technicians,” he said.

Less than a month after graduating, Jaramillo interviewed with Rocky Mount Harley-Davidson in Rocky Mount, N.C., which is near the town where Jaramillo’s 14-year-old son lives. The dealership had been looking for a technician with previous work experience, but when the owner heard about Jaramillo’s training and background as a veteran, he called Jaramillo in for an interview. Two days later, Jaramillo got the news that he had been hired.

“I know where I’m going now, and that can sometimes be a difficult transition for veterans,” said Jaramillo. “I’ve been able to go from a rewarding career in the military to a career that lets me utilize my passion for motorcycles. I’m very fortunate.”

To learn more about a career as a motorcycle technician, visit uti.edu/programs/motorcycle.