We call female collision repair instructors “Frame Changers” because they’re helping reshape the industry at its foundation. By educating, mentoring and empowering the next generation of technicians and leaders, they’re changing perceptions, opening doors and influencing the future of collision repair long before students ever step into a professional shop. Their impact doesn’t stop with the students they teach – it carries into the culture, workforce and future direction of the industry itself.

     Collision repair wasn’t a path Laura Lozano deliberately mapped out from the beginning – it was something she grew into through family influence, hands-on experience and a series of pivotal moments that gradually made the industry feel like home.

     Her father has been a technician her entire life and remains active in the industry today. Growing up, she knew he worked on cars, but she didn’t fully understand collision repair or the scope of the industry behind it. It was simply “Dad’s work” – familiar but not truly defined.

     That changed her senior year when Laura asked her dad for money for a prom dress. Instead of simply giving her the money, he offered a different path: come work with him for a week and earn it. At the time, he was working in a BMW-certified collision repair shop. It was a facility that immediately stood out – clean, highly organized and operating with a level of precision that made everything feel intentional. 

     That first day, Laura wasn’t focused on the technical work; she was observing. But something shifted when she began paying attention to what was actually happening around her – the process, the flow, the problem-solving and the craftsmanship involved in returning vehicles to pre-loss condition was fascinating. By the end of that week, Laura had earned her prom dress… and she had also gained a new perspective. She wanted to come back.

     Like many students approaching the end of high school, Laura had started thinking about what came next, and now she had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted to do. As she spent the summer after graduation working in the shop, she quickly realized she couldn’t get enough – that she had discovered her path. 

     Around that time, she began learning about different educational pathways in collision repair. Her family didn’t have the resources to support a traditional four-year college experience, so when she learned about Contra Costa College, a local community college with a collision repair program just 30 minutes from her home, she knew she’d found the solution; it was affordable, practical and accessible.

     Laura earned her associate degree while continuing to work part-time and during summers as her father’s apprentice. That combination of classroom learning and real-world application became the foundation of her development in the industry.

     After graduation, she transitioned into full-time work at the shop. Working under her father created a unique learning environment built on trust and familiarity. Mistakes weren’t punished – they were worked through. If something broke, they fixed it together. That dynamic allowed her to grow quickly and confidently, developing skills without the fear of being pushed out for learning.

     As time went on, she and her father became co-owners of their own collision repair shop and operated it together for seven years. That period became a formative chapter in her career. She gained exposure to every aspect of the business: refinishing, estimating, insurance relations, parts coordination, administrative operations and customer communication. More than anything, she developed a deep understanding of how all the moving pieces of a collision repair facility connect.

     During this time, her mentor at Contra Costa College – Peter Lock – was preparing to retire. That moment prompted reflection on the future of the program and her own long-term goals. Laura had always imagined teaching someday…but not until much later in life. When Peter encouraged her to apply for an instructional role, it was initially framed as a learning exercise to understand the process.

     What followed was a six-month hiring journey involving multiple interviews and steps. When the job offer finally arrived, it was unexpected. She hadn’t gone into the process expecting to be selected, but she was ready to take on the challenge. She committed fully, stepping away from the shop temporarily to focus on the opportunity. Her father supported the decision wholeheartedly, and she continued assisting with shop operations on weekends.

     On her first day in the classroom, something immediately resonated. After teaching her first class, she knew this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. It felt like the right environment, the right energy and the right evolution of everything she had experienced before.

     After that semester, Laura transitioned fully into education. Her father eventually made the decision to sell the shop. Since that day – a decade ago – she has remained in education, and it continues to resonate just as deeply as ever.

     Today, she reflects on that journey as one built on adaptability, trust and continuous growth. Teaching collision repair keeps her connected to the industry that shaped her while challenging her in new ways every day. It continues to push her outside her comfort zone in ways that feel both meaningful and necessary.

What first drew you into collision repair?

     What first drew me into collision repair was a week my dad had me work with him to earn money for a prom dress. I didn’t even understand the industry at the time, but walking into that BMW-certified shop and seeing how everything operated with such precision completely changed my perspective. By the end of that week, I knew I wanted to stay in it.

Thinking back to your earliest recollection – what did you want to be when you grew up and why?

     In high school, I really didn’t have a clear direction and remember thinking, “now what?” during my senior year. That started to shift after I spent the week working with my dad in a collision shop; something just clicked. I’ve always been drawn to hands-on work and being outdoors, which naturally translated into working on cars. I also value independence and not having someone constantly hovering or micromanaging, and the shop environment gave me that freedom in a way that felt really good. I’ve loved cars for as long as I can remember and even used to want to be a race car driver, so it all connected pretty naturally.

What have you gotten from this industry that you don’t believe you would have gotten in a different field? 

     I’ve worked on both the education side and the technician side of collision repair. From the tech side, you learn to follow a process and the importance of attention to details. It never really felt like a job – it felt like I got to “play” all day and get paid for it. On the education side, I’ve had to push myself in completely new ways, from becoming a public speaker to learning how to communicate and present information effectively. It’s also taught me patience and how to better understand and engage with students of all ages and backgrounds. Overall, teaching has challenged me in ways that have helped me grow both professionally and personally. 

Can you break down your collision repair program – how it’s structured, how long it runs and the different pathways students can take? What does enrollment look like year to year, and have you noticed any shifts in interest or demographics, especially around women entering the field?

     I teach in a two-year collision repair program that offers multiple pathways, including a certificate option for students just exploring the field, an associate degree track that combines collision classes with general education, and an internship-based pathway through Collision Engineering that I’m especially passionate about. In that internship pathway, students commit to earning their degree while also getting connected to a job, a mentor, tools, PPE, industry certifications and even financial support – by the time they graduate, they’re already employed and often leave essentially debt-free or even ahead financially. Across all pathways, we typically see about 60 new students a year, with smaller cohorts of 10–12 in the fully committed Collision Engineering track, where around 85% of students graduate and stay in the industry, which is a really meaningful metric for us.

     A big part of my perspective as an educator comes from my own experience in the industry and with my dad, which I know isn’t everyone’s reality, so I’ve become very focused on making sure students have real support systems instead of being “thrown into the fire” after graduation. I’ve seen how easily people leave the industry when they don’t feel valued or supported, and that shaped how I think about building stronger transitions from school to work. I stay closely connected with other programs, so I’ve seen increases in the number of women joining some of those, and while we haven’t seen a large increase in women in our specific program, the women who do join tend to be highly committed and genuinely interested in the work.

What are your biggest challenges as an instructor, and how do you overcome them?

     The gritty part of education for me has been building a team and growing the program, which has been on my mind from the very beginning. A big challenge is figuring out how to recruit more instructors, including potentially reaching out to graduates or experienced technicians to step into teaching roles. It’s something I’ve also dealt with on the shop side – finding the right people who align not just in skill, but in mindset. For me, alignment and attitude matter just as much as technical ability. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

     For me, the “glossed” part is always graduation – seeing students complete the program after pushing through all the hard parts of balancing life, school and work. It’s really about the relationships you build with them over those two years and the conversations you have along the way. Getting to the end and watching them cross that finish line is incredibly rewarding. I love the ceremony and that moment of relief and pride when they realize they made it; I’m sitting there, applauding and just thinking, “fly birdie, fly!” 

Given the shortage of collision repair instructors, what would you say to encourage someone to consider becoming an educator? Would that conversation be different if you were talking to a woman instead of a man?

     We’re having the same conversations we’ve always had, but now there’s a more intentional layer to it around encouraging collision repair professionals to consider teaching as a future path. With the program structure we have in place, an associate’s degree is required for employment, which naturally changes how people move through the pipeline compared to the faster, non-degree routes that used to be more common in the industry.

     Now, we’re actively inviting graduates back into the classroom as guest speakers and teachers’ aides for a semester, where they help set up labs and get exposure to what instruction actually looks like day to day. It’s a way to show them that teaching isn’t as far removed from the shop as they might think and that their experience is incredibly valuable in that setting.

     The goal is to plant that seed early, so when technicians eventually reach a point where they’re ready for something different, or when a teaching opportunity opens up, they’ve already been introduced to the idea and feel comfortable stepping into it.

Why is industry support important for schools, and how does it impact student morale?

     Our main motivation is always student impact, and that drives everything we do – from staying actively involved in the industry to bringing in guest speakers and building stronger connections with partners. The more access we can give students (whether that’s up-to-date tools, industry engagement or direct communication with collision repair professionals), the more valuable the program becomes. In a lot of ways, the funding and support tend to follow that mindset of putting students first.

     We focus on asking what we need to do to give students the best possible experience in the short time they’re with us, which includes bringing in as much industry involvement as we can. The industry itself is incredibly generous. Once people meet the students and see the energy in the program, they often want to get involved, whether that’s donating money, time or consumable materials. We try to create an environment where we can provide as many resources and opportunities into those two years as possible.

     We’ve also been very fortunate to have strong support from the college and administration, which provides stability and allows us to keep expanding that work. I know a lot of other programs don’t have that same foundation, which can make things much more difficult. At the end of the day, these partnerships are built on people, and I’ve been lucky to work alongside someone like Peter, whose 45 years of experience and commitment have helped make all of this possible.

What do you wish more shops and employers understood about recent graduates when they’re hiring them? And how can shops do a better job of attracting and supporting women in the collision repair industry? 

     One of the biggest things I wish more shops understood about recent graduates is how different their mindset is compared to experienced technicians. There’s also a generational gap that often gets overlooked – entry-level techs are typically in a completely different stage of development, curiosity and confidence than someone who’s been in the industry for 20, 30 or 40 years. Early on, they’re incredibly curious, eager to be challenged and more motivated by learning and growth than by money alone.

     Because of that, retention really comes down to mentorship and structure. Shops that do well are the ones that intentionally choose the right individuals to mentor entry-level techs and meet them where they are. It’s a delicate balance, especially in a production shop where there are real deadlines and real cars, but consistency matters. These students actually do very well with clear boundaries and expectations, and they struggle when things are vague – like being told a start time but not really held to it, then getting corrected later. They need clarity from the beginning.

   They also really want a defined growth path. Many graduates don’t leave school knowing exactly how they’re going to progress in a shop. They want to know what the first six months look like, what success looks like and how they’ll be supported to get there. If employers can lay that out clearly and revisit it with them, it makes a huge difference in whether they stay and grow, or if they leave the shop (or even the industry).

     On the gender side, I do think there are some differences in how individuals approach learning and instruction, especially early on. In my experience, women tend to be more receptive to instruction at the start and often show strong attention to detail and consistency in following directions. Regardless of gender, though, the bigger point is that every entry-level technician benefits from structure, repetition and clear communication – it just may show up differently depending on the individual.

     For shops looking to attract and support more women in the industry, the same fundamentals apply, but the key is creating an environment where they can see themselves staying long-term. That means intentional mentorship, consistent expectations and a culture where their development is taken seriously from day one. It matters because the industry can’t afford to miss out on capable people – especially when retention is already one of the biggest challenges we face.

What’s it like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry? As an instructor, does your knowledge get questioned because you’re a woman? 

     I think age was actually a bigger factor than gender when I first started out, because I was often the youngest person in the room or the shop. I got into the industry through my dad, so for a long time I was kind of “the daughter of,” which unintentionally created a layer of protection – people knew and respected him, and in a way, that shaped how they treated me. I didn’t fully realize that until years later when I stepped back and reflected on how different my experience might have been without that.

     Early on, I did have moments where comments would get made, like someone saying, “this is a man’s job, what are you doing here?” At the time, I honestly didn’t think much of it; I was there because I wanted to be. But later, I gained more perspective, especially when I asked for a reference letter years after leaving a shop and the owner admitted he had only hired me to see if a woman could actually do the job. In the moment, I was grateful for the opportunity, but looking back, I recognized how layered and frankly sexist that mindset was.

     Even as an instructor, I’ve been very fortunate to be protected in a lot of ways – especially through mentors like Mr. Lock, who really took me under his wing, traveled with me to industry events and introduced me to people in the field. As I’ve connected more with other women technicians and instructors, I’ve heard much harder stories…things ranging from constant dismissal to really serious experiences of harassment and abuse.

     That’s made me incredibly aware of how lucky I’ve been, and it’s also made me very intentional about trying to be that safe, supportive presence for my students now. I try to make sure they have someone they can call on after graduation, whether they need help, an introduction or just guidance. I’ve been fortunate to have a kind of “bubble” of support around me, and I try to pass that forward – because not everyone gets that experience, and they should.

How often have you had the opportunity to work with other women? 

     In a collision shop setting, I didn’t really have much direct connection with other women technicians early on. I did, however, get the opportunity to participate in two SEMA builds through Girl Gang Garage with Bogi Lateiner, and that experience was incredibly cathartic. I remember being in the room with other women technicians and almost not believing I was there – it was something I didn’t even realize I needed until I experienced it. Seeing a space filled with women working together in the mechanical industry felt powerful, and I also met someone there who has since become one of my closest friends.

     That experience connected me with a broader network of women in the mechanical and restoration space and completely shifted my perspective and purpose once I moved into the classroom. I remember thinking at the time, “wow, this is really cool,” but more importantly, it opened up conversations I hadn’t even realized were missing in my career…things like how you navigate pregnancy in the industry, maternity leave and whether you continue painting while pregnant and exposed to chemicals – conversations you just don’t typically have with men.

     It also changed how I connect with female students. There’s something unspoken about that women-to-women understanding, and I’ve really felt that in how we communicate and relate to each other in the classroom.

What’s a moment in the program that really stands out to you as an example of student grit or resilience? 

     On the day of a big welding test, I could tell something was wrong with the only young woman in the class – it wasn’t anything she said or did necessarily, but I’d known these students for a year and a half. Well, she just kept working and completed her test. Then, she quietly asked me for an Advil; it turns out that she was having fierce period cramps that day. And these guys had no clue what she was going through. They were all whining and struggling with the weld, and this girl pushed past the physical pain and absolutely killed it! That really highlighted her resilience and determination; it stood out as a powerful example of grit and focus and reinforced how capable and committed female students can be in the program. 

What advice would you offer other women who are interested in pursuing a career in the collision repair industry?

     My advice is always to stick with what you genuinely like and stay curious. Be open to learning from as many people as possible, because there are a lot of people in this industry who are willing to teach and share knowledge – you just have to be willing to receive it. I know that can be hard for shy or introverted people, so sometimes it’s about observing instead of always asking: watching behaviors, techniques and how people work together, and just kind of “nerding out” on it.

     If it’s something you’re truly interested in, people will notice over time, and the skills will follow naturally. My own path was pretty organic – I just kept following what felt good and stayed consistent with it. That’s usually what I tell students too: if it feels right, go all in. Read, watch YouTube, follow magazines and engage with the industry in whatever way makes sense for you.

     There are so many ways to plug into this space now through social media and different communities. It’s a really cool industry with a lot of great people in it. Like anywhere, there are difficult personalities too, but they exist everywhere, so don’t let those people discourage you from pursuing something you’re passionate about.

What do you do with your spare time outside of the industry?

     I’m really into outdoorsy, physical activities – I trained for a marathon last year and spend a lot of time in the gym or hiking when I can. My husband is teaching me how to golf, but that’s definitely a work in progress lol. Most of my spare time is also centered around spending time with family and my niece and nephews. 

What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself?

     Patient – I try to stay patient in all the different areas of my life and trust the process instead of rushing things. I can appreciate the long game and experiencing the various stages of progress. I’m also very driven about how I think through my goals and the direction I want to go. Hmmm. Coming up with a third adjective is a challenge… Happy. Yeah. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at in life right now. 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

     I’ve always thought flying sounds really fun, and I think that connects back to when I used to want to be a race car driver. Realistically, I’m trying to be more extroverted, and I really gravitate toward people who have that natural “people energy” and are super personable. I really admire people who are outgoing and act as cheerleaders for others. I especially love being around people like that.

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