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    • Arturo Herrera

    Arturo Herrera

    Emissions Lab Technician

    SEMA Garage

    Diamond Bar, CA USA

    “It doesn’t matter if people tell you that you can’t do something. If you listen to whatever people say, you are not going to get anywhere. You have to listen to your heart and listen to yourself.”

    Videos

    Videos

    By Roadtrip Nation

    Arturo Herrera

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    Milestones

    Milestones

    My road in life took a while to figure out.
    Is originally from Mexico City, Mexico.
    He has over 20 years of experience in the auto industry; he is currently specializing as an emissions lab technician for SEMA.
    Growing up, he was always playing with cars and was constantly surrounded by people who were mechanics working in body shops.
    As a teenager, his friend helped him buy his first “junk car”, which didn’t run and had missing parts.
    He started working on fixing it up little by little, which ignited his love for cars; discovered that he loved having to “work to make IT work.”
    He never had an opportunity to go to school or gain any formal training—everything he knows about fixing cars he learned “on the streets.”
    Says he feels a strong sense of pride and a personal connection to the parts and cars he tests—“I tested that product, there is a part of me in that car.”
    The language barrier has always been a struggle because of the variety of people he has to work and communicate with; it’s never held him back, but he says his next goal is to go back to school.
    Career

    Career

    Emissions Lab Technician

    I inspect vehicles and issue certifications to ensure their emissions meet standards for state and federal guidelines.

    Career Roadmap

    Roadmap
    My work combines:
    My work combines:
    Engineering
    Engineering
    Technology
    Technology
    Learning / Being Challenged
    Learning / Being Challenged

    Day to Day

    I help auto parts manufacturers develop products by obtaining an emissions certificate. My day is usually spent testing a variety of products to ensure they meet the state and federal emissions standards and issuing affordable CARB EOs to manufacturers.

    Skills & Qualities Beyond School

    Have a love of cars and be passionate about fixing them/improving them.

    Advice for Getting Started

    Here's the first step for middle school students

    Save your money and go to school. If you have an education you can go anywhere and do anything. You will learn things that you never will anywhere else.

    Hurdles

    Hurdles

    The Noise I Shed

    From Society in General:

    "You'll never make it. "

    I don't listen to anybody else's negativity. I listen to God and myself. It can be kind of selfish, but it's the only way to get ahead.

    Challenges I Overcame

    First-Generation Immigrant
    First-Generation Immigrant

    At age 18, I decided that I needed to do something with my life, so I sold my car, applied for a visa/passport, and came to the United States looking for the American Dream. The language barrier can sometimes be an obstacle.