Following Her Own Rhythm
“From my young age, I started playing BMX and I was the only female in my category for the whole time I did BMX,” Kaygen said. “I always remember helping my dad in the garage with our bikes when they would break.”
Years later, when Kaygen attended Crestview High School, she decided to play football.” I was a kicker for my high school football team. I always buried myself in sports because school was never my passion because I grew up with a lot of learning disabilities like dyslexia.”
However, when Kaygen was in high school, she went to a trade school called Vantage Career Center in Van Wert, Ohio. “I started burying myself in collision and refinishing and found out that I loved it,” she said with a grin.
Her father got Kaygen the Neon project vehicle as her first car. “The car was in very bad shape when we first got it,” she mentioned. “The paint was sunburned and there were also a lot of electrical issues. So, me and my dad decided to get everything running really good.” Then when she was learning collision and refinishing, she painted it her senior year of high school.
“My specialty is painting,” Kaygen said. “I have fallen in love with the art and the calmness that comes with painting.”
Kaygen’s favorite project at Vantage was the very first thing she ever painted: a random door from a junkyard. “My teacher Mr. Edwards taught us how to repair the whole door and then we got to put a design on it of our choosing and paint it whatever we felt,” she said. “I decided to paint mine bright neon green which is eventually what I painted my car to be.”
“Honestly, it wasn't just the project that made me fall in love with painting, but it was my teacher and my teacher’s support,” Kaygen said. “If it wasn't for my teacher Mr. Edwards, I probably would not be where I'd be at today. He showed me how to put my passion and creativity into my work.”
Kaygen says it’s easy for teachers to teach the curriculum but it's hard for them to put their passion into it. “It's [Mr. Edward’s] passion that drives me every day to do the best that I can!”
Kaygen has worked at a number of reputable shops since graduating from WyoTech; Fat Fender Garage, The Jeep Farm in Phoenix Arizona to name a few. Although her favorite vehicle is tied between a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda and an SRT-4 Dodge Neon, her favorite colors are anything unique that you don't normally see.
“Honestly, within the next year, I just want to perfect my craft,” Kaygen explained. “In the next five years, I want to start getting into fabrication! I want to start my next SRT-4 project, which would be a Viper engine in a Neon. Then to eventually own my own shop and just have it as a space where people can come and try new things and just see what they're capable of doing.”
In 2022, seven deserving women were given Jessi Combs Foundation (JCF) scholarships totaling $40,000. One of those recipients was Kaygen. “I applied for the Jessi Combs Foundation scholarship because I was in need of money to go to the trade school WyoTech. Previous to going to WyoTech, I went to a trade school called Vantage Career Center in Van Wert Ohio, which is a trade school that you can opt out of your junior and senior year of high school and do a trade, so I did collision and refinishing.”
“Something I would tell women getting to the trades is to surround yourself with the people who support you! Don't ever let anybody tell you what you can and can't do.”
When Kaygen won the scholarship, she was in “complete utter shock” and didn't believe it. “I have never really won anything big in my life until the scholarship. I honestly cannot put it into words what this scholarship has done for me so far.” Kaygen said she’s met so many amazing people that are willing to help her accomplish her goals. “I have also gone to so many amazing places that I never thought of.”
Although Kaygen never got to meet Jessi Combs, she’s heard many stories from her friends and family. “How I learned about Jessi was by my dad,” Kaygen exclaimed. “He was watching her on TV and followed her on Instagram. He was telling me about her, and I went into a deep dive online about her. She was amazing with all of her off-road racing and the land speed record. I was just stunned by her!”
It’s a case of colliding virtually, but that fateful collision proved instrumental in Kaygen’s life. She’s set herself up for success early and has a path forward with Jessi Combs and JCF behind her every step of the way.
“Something I would tell women getting to the trades is to surround yourself with the people who support you! Don't ever let anybody tell you what you can and can't do.” Wise words from a twenty-something with a painted path of gold in front of her.