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York woman is breaking barriers and changing the face of auto repair

YORK, Pa. — “I go home, I’m black, I take my shoes off at the porch because I can`t bring them into the house, I get antifreeze and oil in my ...

YORK, Pa. -- "I go home, I'm black, I take my shoes off at the porch because I can`t bring them into the house, I get antifreeze and oil in my hair," said Jasmine Rivera, Vellons owner and operator.

40-year-old Jasmine Rivera has a passion for fixing things and helping people out.

And that`s just what she does at 'Vellons', an auto repair shop in York.

Rivera started at 'Vellons' as a secretary when she overheard a customer being turned away for an issue the shop said it could not fix.

"I was like, wait a minute, leave that car right there! I was like I`m going to fix it and they looked at me like I was crazy and I was like no I am not," said Rivera.

"You know I figured out what it does, how the system works and after that it was just like woah you fixed it, like, hey, you can fix a lot more! It was like a light bulb went off, it was like oh, I could do this," added Rivera.

So in 2012 she took over the family-owned shop and hasn`t looked back.

"It can be anyone's job. I`m female but I am for everyone," said Rivera.

She does admit noticing some push back in the industry.

"I will tell you one thing, as a woman it is a little bit harder because men do treat you different," she added.

But she doesn`t let that stop her.

"If I wait and worry about what they`re making me feel like, I won`t get anywhere, I could care less," said Rivera. "If you`re not trying anything, you`re not doing anything. So until you try something, how do you not know you`ll like it? You know, I just tried it, I liked it and I fell in love," she added.

"You know, that`s why I wake up, I don`t need an alarm clock because passion leads me," said Rivera.

And it`s that passion that makes her the go-to gal.

"If that`s one stress I can relieve off someone who is like freaking out because they can`t make it to the doctor and I can make their day, then that makes my day," said Rivera.

"How can I help YOU today? That`s what I give. I give the help, I`m not looking for the money, I`m looking for the solution first and that`s the difference," said Rivera.

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