It's safe to say that when it comes to machines, Ray Chafin knows what she's doing.
It's safe to say that when it comes to machines, Ray Chafin knows what she's doing.
"I was in the Air Force for almost 10 years as a heavy mobile equipment mechanic," she said.
But despite her extensive background, Chafin said she still often faces discrimination and judgment from male mechanics.
"No matter how hard I work or how good I am at my job, I always had to prove myself in those spaces and even going to get my own oil changed or any other type of maintenance I still get treated the same way as any other female," she said. "It doesn't matter that I have the background in this.
For many women, the experiences of anxiety, judgment and being ignored when getting car work done are all too familiar.
Mechanista Lead Automotive Technician Ray Chafin works on a car at the Mechanista garage in Ravenswood. The auto repair shop is staffed by women and aims to provide a more welcoming experience for female customers than other repair shops.
Carolina Garibay
"It's always very uncomfortable; it's awkward," said Lisa Thompson. "You feel like maybe you're getting scammed or sold something you don't really need because you don't understand what's going on."
Thompson says that's why she started Mechanista, a nonprofit auto repair garage and training program for girls and non binary folks.
"We are here to kind of disrupt the auto industry in terms of how they normally have treated women," she said. "We wanted to be a space that is really welcoming to women, that is inclusive, where there are no dumb questions."
Even walking into Mechanista, you'll notice it doesn't feel like your typical auto repair shop. Acutally, it feels more like you're entering someone's living room. There's plenty of comfortable seating and cozy lighting and even a separate meeting room where you can get work done, as well as a play area for kids.
The waiting room at Mechanista, an auto repair shop in Ravenswood.
Amanda Ashmore
Thompson said it's a much different and more welcoming experience than one you'd typically get auto repair shop because Mechanista was designed with women in mind.
"There should not be a single business, a single private place, there should not be any place that women are not included," Thompson said. "Women make up 52% of all drivers of cars, but they're not considered in creating almost any vehicle repair spaces or cars themselves."Along with improving the auto shop experience for customers, Mechanista is also actively working to bring a new generation of women into the auto industry.
"Right now, only 2% of all auto mechanics are women, so we are working to change that and to we're working to solve the 2% problem," Thompson said.
Mechanista is currently working on securing funds to start an apprenticeship program this Fall. Designed for 17-to-24-year-old female and nonbinary students, the program will provide hands-on training at the Mechanista garage, as well as virtual reality training.
Lisa Thompson is the founder and and Board President of Mechanista, a nonprofit automotive repair shop and training program for girls and non-binary folks.
Carolina Garibay
That program would be led by Chafin. She said she's excited to show girls and young women that there are no limits to the jobs they can have.
"I don't think I've ever met a female that's not capable and I think that's really empowering," she said. "Being able to pass that on, not just creating a culture here but being able to instill that in the next generation of little 'me's' who are wanting to do this so badly and don't feel accepted."
Thompson said she hopes both customers and future students walk away with a newfound sense of confidence.
"We want anyone who wants to just be able to empower themselves to learn how to learn how to care for something that they've spent a tremendous amount of money on, and we're excited to have girls fill that space," she said.
