First woman painter in Bradenton car dealer’s history gets MTC diploma

In the roughly 80-year history of Alex Karras Lincoln, a venerable Bradenton vehicle dealership at 6760 14th St. W., only one woman has ever had a job spray painting cars in the body shop.

That woman is Sarasota’s Samantha Stewart, 24, who is working at the dealership now after learning her trade in Manatee Technical College’s Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing Program.

Wearing a mask over her face to protect her from toxic fumes in the paint, Stewart makes $19 an hour putting the color back on vehicles that have been repaired after crashes.

On Wednesday night, Stewart, who doesn’t mind being an inspirational figure for women who might shy way from pursuing a career perceived as predominantly male, joined 172 fellow Manatee Technical College students who got their diplomas during MTC’s 2018 Winter Graduation at the school at 6305 State Road 70 E., Bradenton.

“Oh, I hope so,” Stewart said about being a role model for women. “There are so many job opportunities out there in this field. Women actually see color better than men. It’s been scientifically proven. So they make awesome painters.”

Stewart, who also spoke at the graduation, said in an interview just before walking on stage that while her mother, Shannon Stewart, was excited about her career choice, her father, Fredrick Stewart, was apprehensive.

“He was worried because they say (a body shop) is a man’s world and I might get treated a little differently because of the atmosphere that it is,” Stewart said. “But everyone’s been really lovely and super supportive.”

“I have not encountered sexism, but maybe height-ism,” Stewart added with a laugh. “They say, ‘You’re too small to get that. Let me get that.’ But that’s about it.”

Stewart attended Booker High School in Sarasota with a career as a fine art painter in mind but worried she wouldn’t actually make a living.

She thought about it and realized she likes cars, a trait she acquired from her mother who took her to car shows when she was little. So, she decided to go for collision repair because it had painting in it.

Stewart said the starting salary for a car painter at a dealership is $15 to $17 per labor hour.

For information on enrolling in Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing, call MTC at (941) 751-7900.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 9:25 PM with the headline "First woman painter in Bradenton car dealer’s history gets MTC diploma."