Primed DisruptHER: Jaelyn Walker

by Chasidy Rae SiskACCESS-Public Preview, Current Issue, Featured DisruptHER Stories-Magazine, Issue - Summer 2026, Primed DisruptHERPosted on No Comments

Jaelyn Walker grew up around mechanics, JDM culture, loud engines, and Puerto Rican pride, but she found her lane in the cosmetic side of the industry. Now working as a non-structural body technician while training toward structural repair, Jaelyn is building skill, confidence, and a future that does not fit anyone’s outdated assumptions. In this Primed DisruptHER feature, she talks about mentors, family support, career goals, shop challenges, and why women belong anywhere panels need shaping and expectations need breaking.

Primed DisruptHER Gabby Held: Wallys and Welds: 15-Year-Old Gabriella Held is Built for Speed

by Chasidy Rae SiskACCESS-Archive, ACCESS-Subscriber, Archive, Archived Issue Articles, Featured DisruptHER Stories-Magazine, Issue - Spring 2026, Primed DisruptHERPosted on No Comments

At just 15 years old, Gabriella Held is still too young to hold a driver’s license, but that hasn’t stopped her from steering her future forward!
For nearly three years, Gabby has spent a significant portion of her free time in the body shop, learning to weld, paint and repair vehicles through Trade Up Level Up, a non-profit organization focused on connecting today’s youth with the trades.
Gabby was only 13 years old when she first began her collision journey, learning to weld and mastering the delicate balance between technical precision and creative artistry.
While most teens are just beginning to think about their first car, Gabby is already tearing up the track in hers. As a decorated Junior Dragster driver in NHRA’s Division 1, she spent the 2025 season collecting trophies – including a coveted “Wally” – and earning the title of Junior Dragster Driver of the Year. Whether she is wielding a welder in the shop, spraying in the paint booth or hitting top speeds on the drag strip, Gabby is proving that she has the drive to succeed in any lane she chooses.
Let’s get to know this impressive young lady a little bit better!