Toyota T-TEN Leads to Business Leadership for Teya Botte

After attending a vocational program for automotive technology, Teya Botte found herself in Community College of Philadelphia’s Toyota T-TEN program at the recommendation of a well-respected teacher. Now, she’s planning to attend West Chester University to study Business Management and blend her interest in automotive technology with her natural leadership skills in the hopes of one day owning her own automotive business.

“This was not what I originally wanted to be growing up. But I couldn't do what I wanted to do because of some medical stuff,” Teya said about finding her career path. “I knew I couldn't sit at a desk, I needed to be working with my hands. I got a flyer for vo-tech schools from my high school. I was like, ‘I like cars. Why not?’ And I just kind of enrolled.” Teya has a natural ability for managing and directing projects, which her teacher quickly noticed. “He saw that and was like, ‘All right, I'm going to train you.’” He asked her to take the lead on managing one of the bays, which launched her career trajectory in leadership.

While she was still in high school, Teya’s teacher helped her get a co-op position with Toyota, which is what then led her to CCP’s T-TEN program. What Teya has appreciated most about CCP is the small class sizes and the quality education she has received. “[In] my program specifically, it's different from other programs because you get a very specific diagnostic knowledge, but it's a lot cheaper than what other programs are asking,” she said. In addition to getting a quality education at a lower cost, Teya has enjoyed the personalized attention she’s experienced in the program. “You actually get to interact with everybody. Like I know everyone in my class, there's only 13 of us,” she said. “You get more hands-on work and one-on-ones with the teacher.”

More recently, Teya has had the opportunity to mentor other women coming into the automotive field. Given the field is heavily male-dominated, Teya enjoys getting to help support first-year women by answering their questions, giving advice and occasionally teaching certain skills. “I also did a student panel for the Business Entrepreneurship Week summit,” Teya said. “That was pretty cool.”

Teya is planning to attend West Chester University in fall 2026 to study Business Management and Entrepreneurship. “I want to have other avenues,” she said. “And mainly I want to be able to teach automotive to younger kids, so I wanted to get business that way I can at least kind of branch off.” Teya is excited to see the different career pathways available to her with the unique combination of automotive technology and business.

The only Toyota T-TEN (Technician Training and Education Network) offered in the region, this program combines automotive education and work-based learning at dealerships, where you earn money while going to school. Your time at a dealership lead to a permanent position there after you complete the program. The Toyota T-TEN program enables you to reach a skill level in two years which would otherwise take five years. Learn more about the program.