A technician from Zimbabwe epitomizes what it means to be committed to your profession. His story is so motivating I asked him to share it, in his own words, with all of you.
My name is Taurayi Raymond Sewera. I grew up in a family of four boys and one girl living in the high-density suburb of Glen Norah in Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa.
I had a very tough life growing up where I could barely get three meals a day. My mother would sell hand-sewn clothes she made to take care of our family while my father barely took care of our family most of my childhood life. He became more involved in our lives when I was 13 years old and passed on when I was 19. I became the bread winner for my family at the age of 20 and I started working on cars as the best way to provide for them. I am a self-taught automotive technician.
I would work on anything automotive that presented itself to me from light gasoline, light diesel and even heavy-duty diesel vehicles including earthmoving equipment. I started my career selling vehicle spares — mostly used ones that I got from salvage yards. In the early part of my career, I was working in and out of a highly informal industrial place called Gazaland in the Highfield suburb.
At the age of 22, I got married to my beautiful wife, Faith. Two years later we had our first child, Chantell. Together, my wife and I have had five children. My growing family added additional responsibilities on my life as the family bread winner and it pushed me to work even harder.
Unfortunately, we tragically lost our second-born child, Russell (nicknamed ‘Russy Dollar’ by my best childhood friend). The passing on of my child devasted my wife and I, and even up to this day it feels like we lost him only a year ago. I became an alcoholic after the passing on of my son and remained so until 2015 when I finally decided to quit drinking alcohol. And even though I'm sober, I pay the price still today. Beer has already extremely damaged my pancreas and I am now suffering from chronic pancreatitis.
What has truly turned my life around was the decision to become a Born-Again Christian, and from that day I have never looked back. I made a prayer to the Almighty telling him how much I wanted to turn my life around and become one of the best automotive technicians in the world.
My quest to become one of the best took off in 2016 as I was watching a YouTube video of an American automotive instructor by the name of Jim Morton. The video was Mr. Morton teaching an ignition waveform diagnostics class at a TST (Technicians Service Training) event. At the beginning of the class, Jim wrote his email address on the board and I chanced emailing him, telling him of my desire. Fortunately enough, Jim replied my email and told me how he was impressed by my desire.
Jim told me that in order to become one of the best, I needed to attend one of the best automotive training events in the world — like the VISION Hi-tech Training event held every March in Overland Park, Kan. He also mentioned how unfortunate it was that I lived so far away because of the costs involved and what it would take for one to attend this event all the way from Africa.
Not to be discouraged, I told Jim I was 100 percent dedicated to automotive technology training and I was willing to pay for all the costs to attend this legendary event. Jim managed to link me up with Sheri Hamilton, the Executive Director for VISION. Sheri was very happy to help and provided me with all the necessary paperwork to facilitate my USA Visa so that I could attend VISION.
I became the first and only African to ever attend VISION in 2017. And I've attended every year since. While I was at the 2017 VISION Hi-Tech training event, I received an award for the furthest travel ever by a VISION attendee. But the award is nothing compared to my experience in attending. I cannot thank Jim and Sheri enough. It has changed my life and my ideas of what being the best really means. It has provided me with the opportunity to attend classes from the world’s greatest instructors like John Thornton, Bernie Thompson, Scot Manna, G “Jerry” Truglia, the late Harvey Chan, Scott Shotton, Matt Fanslow and many more I don't have the room to mention. I was also fortunate enough to meet great techs from around the United States and others from countries around the world. Attending VISION really impressed on me how much technology is changing in the automotive industry and the need to receive as much training as possible every year. Most of the training available at events like VISION, the TST "Big Event," "Super Saturday" and many more cannot be found in text books. It is the latest information and techniques that are developed by these great instructors and technicians, earned as they work on cars every day.
There is no substitute to these "live" automotive training classes. If one wants to be the best one can ever be, one ought to attend these training events. I believe the training offered at these events does not cost, but pays. Ever since I started attending training events like VISION, I learned that I cannot afford to miss it even though I travel over 9,000 miles one way to the USA.
It is the best decision I have ever made in my 21-year career as an automotive technician. I have also decided to take ASE exams every time I travel to the USA. I have managed to take all nine automotive certifications offered to become an ASE Master Automobile Technician. I have also managed to pass ASE Advanced Level Specialist in Engine Performance (L1), Medium Electronic Diesel (L2), Hybrid and Electric vehicles (L3), Undercar Specialist (X1), and I am also currently ASE certified in five systems related to medium and heavy-duty trucks.
At the time of writing this, I am about to travel to Massachusetts for a hybrid and electric vehicles internship with ACDC, owned by Craig VanBatenburg. While I am there, I will be taking additional ASE tests including three systems in medium and heavy-duty trucks to become a Master Technician in that category. I am also going to take 16 more ASE tests to become ASE Master Technician in Truck Equipment, Collision Repair/Refinish and Transit Bus. I am currently left with only seven ASE systems to be recognised as an ASE World Class Technician!
It seems to me that, with so many great training events held every year in the USA, most American technicians take training for granted. I hope you will gain inspiration through my journey as an automotive technician. I believe there is no appropriate excuse for not going to these training events. I also hope you appreciate how fortunate you are to be exposed to these extraordinary training events.
I also urge you to go and take ASE tests in support of this incredible accreditation. After all, it's all we have to highlight our efforts to be total professionals. If only you could imagine what it's like to travel to the USA or Canada just to take these tests. I come from Zimbabwe, which is one of the poorest countries in the world but still manage to save my hard-earned money to travel to America for both training and ASE tests.
To me, training is very personal. I take it to heart. There is nothing I love more than training and to have all the knowledge to work on the latest technology vehicles including hybrid and electric vehicles. I am by no means wealthy — it is all in pursuit of knowledge. I just want to be a better technician every day and will do anything to save money and find the time to attend these phenomenal training events.
I have more than a thousand automotive-related training books in my collection. I got most of them from auto tech friends I met when I attend training events in the States. In addition to attending the training events, I study these books from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. almost every single day. All to hopefully one day realize my dream of becoming one of the world's greatest techs!
