AUGUST 2023

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ROKI continued from page 34 asset she’s carried with her ever since. Even before she graduated high school, Christina started a program for women in STEM. “The robotics team in high school is there so we can learn and make mistakes,” she said. “I wanted to create something like that but less competitive.” Thus, Christina’s automotive STEM camp for women, Project 102, was born. The annual camp accepts 20 female high school students who are interested in STEM and the automotive industry and leads them through a five-day program of workshops, lectures, and hands-on installation of vehicle modifications. This year’s iteration of Project 102, From Scarcity to Stardom During her childhood, Christina’s parents didn’t speak much English, and they had an especially difficult time reading and interpreting mail. This gap was filled by her and her sisters, who would help translate documents and bills. “I was constantly trying to make ends meet with my parents’ bills,” Christina said. Often, she couldn’t afford to participate in class field trips because of costs, and she never had stylish, new clothes to wear in school. “But I never blamed my parents,” she added. According to Christina, her mother worked two or three jobs at a time, and her sisters would help whenever they could. At times, this meant applying for food stamps or healthcare, or filing taxes, and helping around the house. “My work for one of the big three as a data analyst on performance vehicles. Although the path is less clear now, she has only expanded her options. “I had a lot of doubts, but I’ve always been a big risk-taker,” Christina said. “I wanted to not take the average path. I have goals bigger than I could achieve by taking an average path. If I just went with the flow, it wouldn’t get me where I need to go.” Christina sees herself as a force for inspiration in her community. She shared one of her mottos, which she learned in Chaldean and translated into English. “Keep your head down and walk.” She interprets this saying as a way to stay humble and focus on your own path. Have your ups and downs but going to school now,” she said. “I’m just here to inspire and be inspired.” In the beginning, Christina filtered her content so that she only showed successes. She avoided telling her audience about problems she encountered or mistakes she made. Soon, she realized she was putting on a face that was unnecessary; it’s okay to make mistakes and break things. In fact, that’s how others learn from you. She found a lot of media success and more satisfaction after this stylistic switch. Christina also shares a YouTube channel with her boyfriend of more than five years, Grant Sloan. Together, they post vlogs of themselves buying, building, and modifying cars. While this content is not as lucrative or attention-grabbing as short-form videos, From left: A post on Christina’s social media account; young women at a workshop taught by Christina; the influencer in Japan with Nissan. which concluded in March, was featured as a photo essay in the Detroit Free Press. Sarahbeth Maney, a photojournalist for the Free Press, showcased the project to the metro Detroit community. “I want to inspire girls to join maledominated fields,” Christina said. “Being Chaldean, our families want us to be doctors and pharmacists, but I just wanted to be an engineer. I wanted to introduce it to other students for free so they can figure out if it’s a passion of theirs. This is something that you can’t really do unless someone puts it in front of you.” Christina tapped into an important aspect of the gender disparity in engineering and the automotive industry. As a general rule, this work is difficult to access because of its expensive equipment. Many car engineers and mechanics end up in the industry after learning or being inspired by family or friends, and women are not privy to this type of knowledge as much as men. Christina is trying to fix that, 20 women and millions of viewers at a time. head was always in the real world.” This childhood experience feeds Christina’s strong desire to support her own family, and bonds them together in everlasting connection. “We’re very family-dependent,” she said. “My sisters and cousins always have my back. If my mom had one dollar in her pocket, she would give it to us.” Christina’s mother tells her daughters that she came to this country for them, so they could have a better life. Christina accepted this love, transformed it, and sent it back. She wants her mother to have a better life now and see something grow out of her own arduous journey. Christina’s expertise in the automotive industry is mostly self-taught, however, she is an exceptional student. She graduated from Stevenson one year early and entered college as a junior at the University of Michigan in the College of Engineering. She is due to graduate this summer, which will give her more time to work on her car builds and content creation. Before her social media accounts blew up, she wanted to keep them to yourself. “I have so many ideas and things I want to accomplish,” she said. “It’s more fulfilling if you achieve it on your own, without telling anyone your plans.” Fast Lane to Fame Christina’s content has changed a lot since she began. She first learned about TikTok from her younger sister, who was on the app before it even got its name. “She’s always ahead of the trend and gives me inspiration and ideas,” Christina said. Christina also claims to be one of the first automotive influencers on Tik- Tok. In the beginning, she posted educational content like how to change a headlight or modify a car. Then, over time, it turned into a lifestyle account, and she started to involve her family. Now, Christina is a shining example for female automotive content creators. She regularly sees content online that is clearly inspired by her own, and she couldn’t be prouder. “I get a lot of tags and comments, people telling me about their cars or that they’re Christina enjoys this more because it allows her to form a deeper connection with her audience. One of Christina’s favorite cars is one she made for an invitation-only drag race created for influencers. She swapped a Hellcat Redeye with a Challenger RT, which is a complex process that involves removing and reinstalling the Hellcat’s 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 engine in the Challenger, offering nearly double the horsepower. The final modification, which she decided on 24 hours before the race began, was to wrap the vehicle in rose gold. With great power comes great responsibility, and with that, great fame. When she began, Christina would send emails and pitch projects to various brands; most were not interested. Now, the paradigm has flipped, and brands are eager to work with her. “One of the tipping points was Nissan, which allowed me to build a car and put it at the SEMA show front and center,” she said. For this show, she customized a Nissan truck with a wide body, lowered 36 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2023
Spring into Savings! $ 500 $ 200 PAYMENT ON US! RAFIH REWARDS CARD FOR EVERY RAFIH PRE-OWNED FREE winter tire storage with purchase of 4 tires! rafihautogroup.us 888-718-3391 45441 Dequindre Rd Rochester Hills, MI 48307 suspension, custom upholstery, and a custom graphic wrap, among other modifications. Christina has also worked on major projects with Ruffles, Toyota, Hypebeast, and 7-Eleven. She just revealed her newest car build which features a custom Slurpee design inspired by the world-famous convenience store. Earlier this year, Christina was invited to the world premiere of Fast X, the latest hit movie in the Fast & Furious series, in Rome, Italy. There, she met some celebrities, including John Cena and her favorite cast member, Jordana Brewster, who plays Mia Toretto in the movies. “I love bringing my family along on all of these journeys,” she said. “I brought my cousins from Canada and Belgium and my little sister. That’s what makes my day. I don’t like enjoying this stuff all by myself. I want my family to share these experiences, too.” Christina has enjoyed her fair share of fame from fans, too. In one instance, she went to a car festival in Arizona where one of her fans drove all the way from Texas to meet Christina and show off her own inspired build. “I spent pretty much the whole day with her,” Christina said. “She started watching me from my very first videos. It was a whole different level of connection that makes me want to keep going. I’m here to represent the female automotive community. This is only the start of it.” Christina believes that brands play a vital role in breaking down the gender gap in the industry, and not just in her case. When large companies sponsor Christina’s projects, it shows other women that there are real opportunities out there, and it helps to grow her female audience. “Institutions and communities and smaller groups are paving the path for the future, and it can start a chain reaction,” Christina said, referencing her experience with the robotics team. “That’s why it’s important to keep my program going.” Christina advises her followers to stick with their goals and plans and avoid getting down after a few rejections. Even the most successful stories are full of dismissals and unanswered emails in the beginning. She told a story of her application for a Chaldean Community Foundation scholarship almost five years ago. She was denied, and she admitted it hurt her at the time. This seemingly small event, which undoubtedly put doubt in her mind and shot her own confidence, came full circle as she recently reconnected with the CCF, albeit at a different stage in her life and for different reasons. This synchronicity reinforced a valuable lesson for Christina, one that she hopes to instill in others: Keep your head down and walk. AUGUST 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 37
Page 1 and 2: METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY VO
Page 3 and 4: America’s largest arab and Chalde
Page 5 and 6: METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY |
Page 7 and 8: PUBLISHER'S CIRCLE Join the Publish
Page 9 and 10: AUGUST 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 9
Page 13 and 14: ALEXANDER A. AYAR SELECTED BY MICHI
Page 15 and 16: We can’t help complete your to-do
Page 17 and 18: 202307_18-CFCU-MoneyMarket-PRINT_Ch
Page 19 and 20: WE ARE HIRING Do you possess a pass
Page 21 and 22: PHOTO BY ALI ABDUL HASSAN/AP His Be
Page 23 and 24: Recently, the most dangerous forger
Page 25 and 26: presents 5th Annual Awards Gala Din
Page 27 and 28: along the Euphrates River to unite
Page 29 and 30: CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Educa
Page 31 and 32: PROJECT LIGHT THERAPY SERVICES Ther
Page 33 and 34: ARE YOU HIRING? JOIN US 2ND ANNUAL
Page 35: CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BREAK
Page 39 and 40: ody — such as vegetables, grains,
Page 41 and 42: Authentic Italian style restaurant
Page 45 and 46: When Every Moment Counts Synergy Lo
Page 47 and 48: SEPTEMBER 17 T H T H 2023 REGISTRAT
Page 49 and 50: PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS PROFESS

AUGUST 2023

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?