FILLMORE : Car’s Winner Must Shift for Herself

Gabriela Avila has a driver’s license and car insurance. All she needs now is mastery of the standard shift to drive the shining red 1991 Dodge Colt that she won in a drawing during Fillmore High School’s graduation-night cruise last week.

Born in Fillmore to Mexican immigrant parents, 17-year-old Gabriela had satisfied a five-year interest in automobiles by building model cars from kits.

She had resigned herself to buying a used car when she was older, perhaps after college. Until then, the family’s aging station wagon with its automatic transmission had been the best she could hope for.

The chance of winning the $7,500 car was the main attraction of a safe and sober graduation trip sponsored by city and school officials to prevent a repeat of a drunk driving accident that took the life of 18-year-old James Anderson hours after his graduation in 1990.

Cramped quarters and a scarcity of food made the cruise around Long Beach harbor a disappointment for most of the students and chaperones, who said owners of the cruise line did not live up to their promises.

But Gabriela said she was happy enough with the trip before winning the car.

She had already won a clock radio, a hat and a gift certificate, three of the 80 gifts awarded to the 138 teen-agers on the cruise.

“And I never win anything--never!” Gabriela said.

There is a flip side to her good fortune. “I’ve never had such a big responsibility,” Gabriela said. “You could kill someone.”

Coaching from friend Michael Filson as they car-pool to summer jobs in Valencia has improved her confidence. However, she still needs to practice. “I’m fine in all the other gears,” Gabriela said. “But first gear really messes me up.”

Finances are another challenge. With four siblings still living at home and her father disabled by Parkinson’s disease, Gabriela must earn the $1,500 a year for car insurance herself and find a way to cover the cost of continuing her education.

When Gabriela enters UC Santa Barbara this fall, she will be the first in her eight-member family to attend college. Her 3.5 grade-point average earned her state and local scholarships totaling about 20% of her $10,000 college expenses and she hopes the university will offer some aid.

“If they don’t, and I can’t get a loan, I may have to sell my car,” Gabriela said. She said she has grown attached to the vehicle, but was preparing herself to part with it. “Listen to me,” Gabriela laughed. “Calling it ‘my’ car!”