About KM
Résumé
personal essay
I have strived my whole life to find a community that I can see myself fit in. Sports and clubs always felt a bit forced, until I was introduced to the car community. Being in such a unique, yet open community has taught me a lot about other people. I’ve learned to read people’s personalities through their vehicles, because they’ve often been customized and built with their own two hands. My car has taught me to be independent and find solutions to problems I have never encountered before and surround myself with people that encounter similar problems. Finding this community brought me closer to my family and introduced me to new friends.
Learning to drive a manual transmission has been a recent challenging experience. Car meets and events always had me feeling excited, but I didn't think I could participate in them myself. I paid off my first car and decided to sell it to save and buy my manual FRS. It was late on a Saturday night, and I had just driven eight hours that day to pick up my car. I fell in love with the feeling of finally seeing everything I had worked so hard for come to fruition. I got into the driver's seat only to realize the stick shift was a little harder to maneuver than I anticipated. Even though I had tried to learn beforehand, it was completely different in the car. It took me weeks to relearn how to drive, but I again, fell in love with the feeling of being able to do something that once seemed so far out of reach.
That feeling of accomplishment is the same one I get after a final exam knowing I did the best that I could to prepare. It's the same feeling as seeing everything I accomplish after a long day at work; it's that feeling that makes me strive to be the best version of myself and to stay productive. I once confined myself to self-imposed limitations, but finding a meaningful community allowed me to break away from those and provided me with the drive to do better and to overcome my own restrictions.
In further pursuit of this passion, a few of my friends and I started a business that really solidified my career options. We began rebuilding carburetors, and the unexpected support I have received and things I have learned along the way have been amazing. Our partnership with Edelbrock group has taught me a lot about mechanics and marketing your brand. Fully submerging myself into the car enthusiast community has proven that I can transform this interest into a full career. The business has introduced me to marketing and the importance of connections- not only with future business partners but with my supporters and customers, and I have made truly great friends in the process.
own and operate KMdrift.com