<p>There&rsquo;s one thing <a href="/programs/motorcycle">Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI)</a> graduate Skylar Penn has always known: He was going to become a mechanic one day.<sup>1</sup></p><p>&ldquo;My fifth-grade teacher made us write a book on our future goal before we entered middle school, and in that book, I said I wanted to go to MMI to be a dirt bike mechanic,&rdquo; Skylar shares with us.</p><p>It's not every day you meet someone who's turned their childhood dream into a reality, but that's precisely what Skylar Penn did. He&rsquo;s now a traveling mechanic for <a href="https://pop.yamahamotorsports.com/blu-cru" data-sf-ec-immutable="">the Yamaha bLU cRU</a> and supporting races all over the East Coast. Check out Skylar&rsquo;s incredible story below.</p><h2><strong>The Love for Mechanics &mdash; A Lifelong Affair</strong></h2><p><img alt="Skylar Penn" src="/images/default-source/admin-library/01skylarpenn.webp" sf-size="127648" /></p><p>Skylar has had a lifelong knack for fixing things, from cars and trucks to bikes and remote controls.</p><p>&ldquo;I have always had some type of four-wheeler or dirt bike in my life,&rdquo; says Skylar. &ldquo;I grew up racing dirt bikes and always, I mean <em>always</em>, had my hands on something to work on whether it was trucks, cars, bikes, remote controls etc. You name it&mdash;I tried to fix it.&rdquo;</p><p>As he grew older, his interest narrowed down to dirt bike mechanics. The thrill of building motors, adjusting suspension and selecting tires captivated him. Fast forward a few years, and a young, ambitious Skylar packed up and headed to Orlando, Florida, for motorcycle and powersports technician training. </p><h2><strong>An Institution That Felt Like Home </strong></h2><p>When the time came to choose a school, MMI was Skylar's first pick. It didn&rsquo;t take long for him to connect with like-minded individuals and establish connections in the motocross industry.</p><p>&ldquo;The comfort of all teachers being real and straight up with you, and the interaction between everyone was probably my favorite part of MMI,&rdquo; Skylar tell us. </p><p>As a student during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, this class had its challenges, but they soldiered on, learning and growing together. </p><p>&ldquo;COVID affected my class but the skills were still hands-on and I thoroughly enjoyed that,&rdquo; recalls Skylar. &ldquo;My favorite classes were definitely my electives K-Tech and Yamaha as they both had their perks of hands-on learning.&rdquo;<sup>18</sup></p><p>Skylar also completed the Kawasaki K-Tech and Yamaha YamaPro&reg; specialized training programs, which helped prepare him for what he calls his dream career in his home state of Virginia. </p><h2><strong>Working With the Yamaha bLU cRU</strong></h2><img src="/images/default-source/admin-library/03skylarpenn.webp" alt="Skylar Penn" sf-size="100" /><p>Transitioning from MMI to the workforce was seamless for Skylar, thanks to his hard work and a well-rounded education, as he puts it.<sup>6</sup> Growing up, he often visited a local shop called Triangle Cycles. He made a great connection with the owner, Rusty, and he managed to land a job after graduation.</p><p>&ldquo;While in school at MMI, I messaged Rusty and asked if I could come hang out at the trailer at Mini O&rsquo;s at Gatorback MX. He allowed me to come hang out and ever since then, I&rsquo;ve been hooked,&rdquo; Skylar tells us. &ldquo;Not long after that, Rusty asked if I would want to come work for his shop following graduation and I agreed.&rdquo;</p><p>Skylar tells us he attends most East Coast races and amateur regionals, including one of the biggest amateur races, known as Loretta Lynn&rsquo;s. When there&rsquo;s not a race to work at, you can find him at his home shop of Triangle Cycles.</p><p>&ldquo;One of the best feelings is after working on a bike at any race and then the rider coming back saying how great the bike ran and that they made it to the next round or race weekend,&rdquo; Skylar shares. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t beat the feeling of that!&rdquo;</p><h2><strong>Following Your Passion With MMI</strong></h2><p>Skylar's advice for anyone looking to follow in his footsteps is simple: Follow your passion. </p><p>"You can do anything you put your mind to. Stick with it through the good days and bad days,&rdquo; Skylar advises. &ldquo;It will all be worth it if you truly love the sport of racing/bikes."</p><p>Having achieved his goals, Skylar now dreams of working for a pro team someday. When he&rsquo;s not busy working, you'll find him fishing, riding dirt bikes or spending quality time with his wife and their baby boy.</p><p>&ldquo;MMI is excellent for a well-rounded education,&rdquo; shares Skylar. &ldquo;I believe it helped shape me into the mechanic I am today.&rdquo;</p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;">If you&rsquo;re interested in hands-on training on small engines, MMI could be the place for you. We have two locations in </span><a href="/locations/arizona/phoenix" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;">Phoenix, Arizona</a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;">, and </span><a href="/locations/florida/orlando-mmi" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;">Orlando, Florida</a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;">. You can learn more about it on our </span><a href="/programs/motorcycle" style="font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;white-space:inherit;">Motorcycle Mechanics program</a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;"> page.</span></p>