Automotive instructor takes own advice to his students, earns degree from Weber State
OGDEN, Utah — Nearly a decade after first considering college, 28-year-old Angel Zamora-Lemus enrolled at Weber State University and found more than an education.
Born in Tijuana, Mexico, and raised in Ogden, Zamora-Lemus became fascinated with automotive technology at a young age. The son of a single mother of three, he learned how to maintain vehicles early on.
“I used to always joke that my mom had so many cars and people were really impressed. But in reality, it was just that cars kept breaking down and she had to keep switching,” said Zamora-Lemus.
The cost of car maintenance put a strain on his mother, leading him to his first oil change at age 9 and learning general vehicle upkeep. Those experiences, coupled with a cousin’s involvement in lowriders, sparked a love for cars as pieces of art.
He also had a passion for helping others. In high school, he considered a career in immigration law but hit a snag due to citizenship status — and college fell out of reach. That changed when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was introduced. Zamora-Lemus applied and received a social security number, opening the door to higher education for the first time.
But cars remained a pattern in his personal and professional life.
“I would go out of my way to look at a car, study a car, and then do the maintenance of my mom's vehicles,” he said. “So all my jobs were always car-related or in the car industry.”
After graduating from Ogden-Weber Technical College’s Automotive Service Technology program, a former instructor encouraged him to apply to be an aid. From there, he climbed the ladder to become a full-time instructor at OTECH.
Zamora-Lemus always told students “plans change and your passions can change, you don’t know what life is gonna throw at you” — something he knew firsthand.
While he embraced teaching, something was missing. After years of encouraging students to continue their education at Weber State, he decided that if he was going to recommend it, he had to do it too.
Taking advantage of a Utah System of Higher Education scholarship as well as prior learning credit from OTECH and his Automotive Service Excellency certifications, he began classes at WSU.
The Department of Automotive Technology offers associate and bachelor's degrees, along with certificates of proficiency and opportunities for concurrent enrollment.
While teaching full-time and running his own business, ZLP Automotive, he completed his associate degree in just two semesters — one of which included a grueling 18-credit hour load.
After earning his degree this spring, he immediately jumped into pursuing his bachelor’s. His hope is to continue modeling what’s possible for students that choose to follow in his footsteps.
Zamora-Lemus’ path hasn’t always followed a straight line, but he acknowledges that’s sometimes how life goes. And at WSU, he’s found the space to keep evolving and the tools to help others do the same.
“It’s never too late to do something different,” he said. “And even if you’re doing it later in life, someone’s looking up to you.”
Ashlee Ellinwood, Marketing & Communications
- Contact:
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu