Photo Credit: Petra CaresNews
Petra Cares Graduates First Class of Automotive Title Clerk and Warranty Administration Program
Petra Cares, graduated the first class of its Title Clerk and Warranty Administration program on August 28, preparing five young women for administrative careers at Houston-area automotive dealerships.
Among the graduates is Emily Lira-Joachim, who entered foster care at age 3 and aged out while preparing to become a mother. After struggling through school, she said the program changed how she sees her future.
“This is the first time I actually wanted to learn. I enjoy learning,” Lira-Joachim said. “Being here is making me see a different future for myself, not just for me but for my son too. I don’t want him to struggle like I did, so this is really big for me.”
Watch Lira-Joachim and her classmates describe the program in their own words.
The four-week program launched Aug. 31. It trains students in title clerk and warranty administration work, and graduates earn certification from Reynolds and Reynolds.
The new program was led by Crestina Montemayor, Title and Warranty Class Instructor, who began her automotive career as an entry-level cashier in 2014 before advancing into dealership billing, title and accounting roles while raising two children as a single mother. Drawing on her experience, Montemayor incorporated real-world dealership scenarios into the curriculum to prepare students for careers in title and warranty administration and opportunities for future advancement.
“I know what it means to start at the entry level and have someone give you an opportunity to learn, grow and see more for yourself,” Montemayor said. “I want to be that person for these students and help them recognize their own potential. For young women especially, I want them to know there is a place for them in this industry, to have confidence in what they bring to the table and to understand that where they start does not have to determine where they end.”
It is the first Petra Cares program outside automotive technician training. Petra Cares is a Houston-based nonprofit providing career training and support to young adults transitioning out of foster care and other at-risk youth.
Why Petra Cares built it
Petra Cares created its programming to equip young adults aging out of foster care with the skills and support to build sustainable careers. While its automotive technician training is open to both men and women, participants have historically been predominantly male, leading Petra Cares to create an additional pathway aimed at reaching more young women. Women represent just one in five dealership employees, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association’s Dealership Workforce Study.
“Expanding our training means expanding what’s possible for the young adults we serve,” said Arnold Gacita, Founder and CEO of Petra Automotive Products, and Founder of Petra Cares. “This program gives our students, particularly young women, another way to enter the automotive industry and build toward financial stability and independence. Crestina brings the experience, compassion and real-world perspective to show our students not only how to do the work, but how far a career in this industry can take them.”
The need and track record
Within three years of leaving the foster care system, 80% of young adults face homelessness, incarceration, or worse. Fewer than 2% will ever earn a college degree, a reality that locks one generation of poverty into the next. One in five will experience homelessness within the first year alone. These are not projections, they are the odds stacked against tens of thousands of young Americans every year, and the reason Petra Cares was founded.
In the Houston area alone, more than 300 young adults age out of foster care each year without a plan or safety net.
Since 2023, Petra Cares has served 162 young adults through 16 classes of its automotive technician program. Of those, 110 graduated and 91 were placed in jobs, an 83% placement rate among graduates. The nonprofit partners with dealerships across greater Houston to connect graduates with employers.
What’s next
Petra Cares is now working with its dealership partners to place the five graduates in jobs. The next Title Clerk and Warranty Administration class begins November 16 through December 11. Prospective students and dealerships interested in hiring graduates can visit petra-cares.org.
Source: Petra Cares
