As a transportation and logistics business chief, Penske and its autos cowl huge distances in pursuit of their locations. Remarkably, a few of our folks do, too. This 12 months, supported by their colleagues and households, three associates from three distinctive corners of the world reached new locations by turning into U.S. residents.
Karima Kamara, Administration Trainee, New Citadel, Delaware – Penske Truck Leasing, spent her adolescence in Vacamonte, Panama. When she first got here to the US together with her father, a Sierra Leone native, she was capable of lean on two communities directly – her father’s African associates and the guy Latinas in her English lessons – as she adjusted to the totally different tempo of residing.
Whereas furthering her schooling on the College of Delaware, Kamara found that her pursuits in analytics and engineering paired completely together with her need to assist others overcome their very own adversities. In December of her remaining college 12 months, she joined Penske as a senior rental consultant. One month later, in January 2022, she handed her citizenship check. That Might, she graduated together with her bachelor’s diploma in operations administration and began a brand new function as a administration trainee. She sees the best way Penske invests in its associates and is worked up for the expansion alternatives forward.
Kamara is uniquely attuned to how range impacts our skilled efficiency.
“I’m keen about managing all varieties of folks and serving to them succeed,” she stated. “I wish to be taught from the distinctive methods every individual’s thoughts works and leverage these variations to enhance course of flows and make issues extra environment friendly for everybody, together with the corporate,” Kamara stated.
Kamara’s grateful to her Penske workforce for making a recreation of asking each other questions from her citizenship research information whereas on the job. The identical workforce organized a shock celebration for her the day after she handed her check and have become a U.S. citizen.
“I used to be not anticipating it in any respect,” she stated. “Someway, I used to be so centered on work that day that they have been capable of put the decorations up with out me noticing. I’m so completely happy and blessed that they considered me and acknowledged me like that,” Kamara stated.
Michael Brown, Technician II, Atlanta, Georgia – Penske Truck Leasing, emigrated from Jamaica to the US in 2002. Life wasn’t straightforward for him throughout that point. His view of the 2000s is shadowed by many private struggles. However on the finish of these darkish instances have been two shining moments of pleasure and pleasure: his marriage to his spouse, which granted him a inexperienced card after which he “by no means appeared again,” and his profession at Penske.
“The best a part of all of my battle – the best half – is working for Penske,” Brown stated. “I simply love this job, the folks, my workforce. My momma would say I discovered me a house right here. And she or he’s proper, that is my second residence,” Brown stated.
His father was a diesel mechanic, and the pair spent Brown’s youth driving across the island, engaged on vans collectively almost any day he wasn’t at school. “I labored lots of locations earlier than coming to Penske,” Brown stated, “and Penske is simply the perfect.”
He’ll always remember when, on his second anniversary with Penske, his supervisor requested him how lengthy he was planning on spending with the corporate. Brown’s response was, “so long as I’ve obtained life in my physique.”
Years later, it was that exact same supervisor, now his district supervisor, who offered Brown a plaque and heartfelt phrases of encouragement to commemorate his turning into a U.S. citizen.
A part of Brown’s private American dream consists of aspirations of rising his profession with Penske. “I’m so overjoyed to be an American citizen now. I need to make use of each alternative I get right here. At some point, I might like to turn out to be a supervisor,” Brown stated.
Aurelie Doucette, Basic Supervisor, Duluth, Georgia – Penske Logistics, initially from France, acknowledges that she didn’t face the adversity many different immigrants face. All through nearly all of her logistics profession – which started in 2001 with Transfreight, an organization acquired by Penske Logistics in 2015 – she was completely happy to make use of her U.S. work visa and French passport to, “work, journey and have the perfect of each worlds.”
Nevertheless, as a mom of two teenage daughters, Doucette just lately felt compelled to turn out to be a U.S. citizen to be able to take part in elections.
“It’s vital to me to point out my daughters that I can use my voice. Once they’re sufficiently old, I don’t need them to take their proper to vote with no consideration,” she stated.
Since she began her journey to citizenship in the summertime, Doucette wasn’t certain she’d have the ability to take part in November’s midterm elections. Nevertheless, the method moved at lightning pace – proper all the way down to her excellent examination rating – thanks partially to her supportive daughters who inspired her to check till the morning of the check.
To Doucette’s shock, she was requested to take the oath that very afternoon.
“We have been 90 folks in that room all collectively, all from totally different locations with totally different tales,” she recounted. “We stood and skim the oath collectively – some with translators. You can hear the reduction from some folks. It was a humbling and transferring expertise.”
She went straight from the ceremony to register to vote.
Doucette’s empathy for the distinctive tales of these round her is obvious within the office, too. A tactful and passionate chief, one of the crucial rewarding components of her function helps her workforce members obtain recognition and success – even when that success means outgrowing the workforce. Doucette says she approaches every transition with “pleasure for them and pleasure for the chance to deliver somebody new to the Penske household.”
Penske is at all times on the lookout for proficient people of all backgrounds to affix our workforce. Go to Penske.jobs to discover our present profession openings and apply.
By Sarah Althen