Few people know as children what they want to be when they grow up, but for Aric Boyd there was only one option. He knew from an early age that he was going to be a motorcycle mechanic.

“One of the biggest memories I have is getting a little motorcycle dictionary thing that just had pictures of motorcycles and whatnot in it, and I would carry it around with me everywhere I’d go and I’d try to match the motorcycles from inside that book to what I’d see on the street,” Boyd said.

At an age when most kids were catching Pokémon on their Gameboys, Aric was building a collection of his own as he spotted the real versions of the motorcycles in his book.

His passion for motorcycles peaked when he rode his uncle’s dirt bike for the first time. The power he felt on two wheels was addictive, and Aric made tracks on his family’s property in Alabama as he tested the limits of that machine.

Aric’s rides were usually cut short by mechanical failure, but repairing the motorcycle only increased his enthusiasm of wanting to become a motorcycle technician. His uncle showed him the basics and gave him a place to experiment with tools and mechanical parts.

During one of his maintenance sessions, it just clicked that being a motorcycle technician was what he wanted to do with his life. “I always knew from a young age that I wanted to work with my hands because it’s more entertaining. It makes me happy.” Boyd enrolled at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (a division of UTI) in Orlando, Florida. His background with his uncle’s motorcycle certainly was an advantage, but Aric was surprised how much he didn’t know about the machines he loved.

“Going to MMI is a great way to learn about the new technology because there are some things out there that are more complex than they used to be. With the electronics that motorcycles have now, it’s a great thing to go somewhere to learn about that specific technology in order to work on it properly.”

After completing the 48-week program, Boyd took on the even greater challenge of finding a job in the highly competitive motorcycle industry.

The skills and knowledge he obtained at MMI helped him get a job within two months. His training gave him more than just motorcycle knowledge; it gave him work ethic, critical thinking skills and a professional attitude.

Today, Boyd works as a service technician for Seminole PowerSports, but the road from MMI to his current position was not a straight shot.

“I first got into Seminole PowerSports by first going to the sales department for a little while until a position opened up in the service department.”

Aric’s tenacity and willingness to adapt his skills to the situation is something MMI strives to instill in all its graduates. There are opportunities available for those who dedicate themselves to pursuing their passion through to a career.

Boyd encourages current MMI students, and those who are interested in the program, to use their opportunity to learn more than just the technical skills. In addition, he believes that MMI students should develop an effective work ethic, people skills and self-confidence that will benefit their career search.

“You get out of it what you put into it. If you just do the bare minimum, you’re not going to get anything out of MMI, besides a certification saying that you passed.”