July 16, 2013 - Childhood Hobby Transforms Into Promising Career
Like a lot of young boys, skills are honed and passions are brewed in the backyard or in the basement with Dad. Corona, Calif., native Chris Olson is no different. Only Olsen took his passion and skills to Universal Technical Institute and combined them into a successful career.
Olsen, a 2012 graduate of UTI-Rancho Cucamonga, is a level 2 diesel technician at Rush Truck Centers in Pico Rivera, Calif. As part of his duties, Olson works on engines, brake systems and cab electronics to name a few, as well as Peterbilt tractors and trucks.
Olson has worked at Rush for a little more than eight months now, but his earliest memories of working on vehicles takes him back to his childhood.
“When I was younger, I helped my dad and grandfather work on vehicles and always enjoyed it,” said Olson. “After high school I found that working on my own vehicle, as well as others, was fun and something I could do for a living. That’s when I decided I wanted to work in the automotive field.”
And so he did.
Olsen applied and was accepted in to the Automotive, Diesel and Industrial Technology Training Program at the Los Angeles-based UTI campus, located just 20 miles from his hometown.
The short commute and family ties were not the deciding factors in Olson’s decision to attend. Instead, he credits the school itself for persuading him to enroll.
“Everything at the school was organized and I couldn’t believe how much hands-on training there was,” said Olson. “There are so many different fields of work a student can ultimately end up in.”
After completing his core training, Olson was accepted into the 12-week Cummins Engine Elective course at UTI’s Avondale, Ariz., campus. This is the certification Olson credits most for his success, in addition to the top-notch instructors that helped him along the way.
“My experience was great. I never struggled at UTI because there was always an instructor there to help me,” said Olson. “Mr. Tejada was my electrical instructor and he is the biggest reason I am so successful today. He drove me to be the best at everything and to always retain as much knowledge possible throughout my education.”
Even after completing his certification, the campuses continued to support Olson, especially when it came to finding a job.
“UTI is the reason I’m where I am today,” said Olson. “They provided me with the necessary knowledge, and helped me land a job by finding leads in the career field I was most interested in.”
Though Olson is a successful graduate, he has aspirations to do even more.
“In five years I want to be a level-5 tech with Rush,” said Olson. “In 10 years I want to be a mentor to new techs entering the field, and in 15 years I want to work as a diesel field service engineer.”
No matter how far Olson goes in his career, it will be hard for him to forget exactly who helped him get there. And he doesn’t mind telling people, either.
“UTI is a great place to learn because of how structured and straight forward it is,” said Olson. Everything about the school is efficient and well maintained, and the instructors will always do their best to ensure you take away as much knowledge as you can.”
For more information about UTI-Rancho Cucamonga and its programs, please visit: www.uti.edu/campus-locations/los-angeles, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
