UTI Grad Morgan Sanders: From a Stolen Motorcycle to New Career
"There’s going to be times when you think, ‘How am I going to get through this?' But if you pay close attention you’ll make it through."
Morgan’s story of how he became a tech at DTR Motorsports doesn’t have a happy beginning. Someone tried to steal his motorcycle and he brought it to DTR for the needed repairs. He was impressed with the work that they did. Having someone try to steal his bike made for a bad day, but the incident brought him through the doors of DTR Motorsports, where he now works doing the same great repairs for others. At the time he was studying in Universal Technical Institute's Motorcycle Technician Training program and they made a huge impression on him in the quality of their work.1
Attending UTI was a huge step in Morgan’s transition from military to civilian life. He was in the military for 20+ years, which is quite a career. When his time was up, he wanted to go after something that excited him and that was motorcycles. He had been riding for a long time but only had minimal skills in working with them. He knew that he wanted to do things like learn how to fix engines, preventative maintenance and diagnosing what could be causing issues. He wanted to learn these skills in working towards his goal of becoming a motorcycle tech.
Morgan enjoyed the coursework and the instructors while he was a student. When he was having difficulties, he would turn to his instructors and they were always happy to help him out. He credits them with helping him find the right direction when he was lost and encouraging him to approach problems from different angles. And he never gave up with his focus or determination.
“There’s going to be times when you think ‘how am I going to get through this? But if you pay close attention you’ll make it through.”
He grew up turning wrenches and UTI gave him the opportunity to learn new skills and to expand his knowledge. He feels that UTI gave him a good foundation rather than jumping into a job without a formal education. He took the core program, also studying Harley Davidson and BMW. He received a well-rounded education in motorcycles and was happy to have had the opportunity to focus on these two brands.
“As far as the knowledge about bikes – some stuff I knew, like the different parts, but other things I didn’t know. I’m a perfectionist. I want to know what I’m doing before fixing someone’s motorcycle so that I can do it right the first time. I paid a lot of attention to the things I didn’t know and asked questions.”
Now at DTR Motorsports he gets to put all of those lessons into practice. Everything from tire changes and swapping out engines to preventative maintenance. He does many important jobs that are crucial in keeping his customers’ bikes working.
It takes courage to feel what excites you and to turn it into a career. Morgan knew that he wanted a career working on motorcycles and took the actions to make this happen. What are you passionate about? Take that important step in finding the career that is right for you.