Monica Baeza Awarded Amazing Women in Auto Care Scholarship

Monica Baeza, shop foreman at the Port of Oakland (California), was awarded the Amazing Women in Auto Care Scholarship, which allowed her to be present at the organization’s breakfast Thursday morning at the VISION Hi-Tech Training and Expo.

The scholarship was awarded to a first-time VISION attendee and paid for Beaza’s four-day registration and hotel accommodations. Her sponsor was Small Biz Vantage.

“It's amazing to be recognized in the automotive industry, in the space of women, to receive this scholarship,” Baeza noted at the breakfast. “And with the scholarship, it gave … opportunities that I wouldn't have gotten. I’m super thankful for all the connections I get to make (and) all the knowledge I get to share. And then I think the most important thing for me is that I get to represent female technicians.”

The 25-year veteran of the industry hold six ASE certifications and continues to teach and mentor others at Contra Costa College while also pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership Studies at Cal Poly Humbolt.

Her long-term goals focus on advancing leadership, innovation, and inclusion in the automotive and fleet industries as well as to strengthen her technical skills in EV systems, diagnostics, and sustainable fleet management while expanding her leadership impact.

“In the next few years, I hope to move into a workforce development or training leadership role where I can connect hands-on technical experience with education and mentorship,” she wrote in her application for the scholarship. “Long term, my goal is to help create inclusive, empowering environments where knowledge is shared freely and future technicians, especially women and underrepresented groups, can thrive.”