Whitney Meza ’09 recognized among DealerNews’ Top 100 Women in Power Sports

Whitney Levash Meza ’09 of Ripon, Wisconsin, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews magazine.

In the summer of 2021, Meza rode Harley-Davidson Corp.’s 2021 Pan America Special bike across 48 states in eight days. She had partnered directly with Harley-Davidson for a 10-day challenge and completed her ride throughout the country with two days to spare. After sharing her riding adventures on social media, her stories gained media coverage, leading to her recognition from DealerNews.

Her riding adventures can be found on Instagram (@whitmeza) and YouTube.

Meza continues to test herself with different riding expeditions. In January 2022, she rented a new bike from El Segundo, California, and took it to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, in 45 hours.

Meza says she has always been interested in motorcycles and tries to make time for riding as much as she can. “It has become a true passion of mine, challenges me both mentally and physically, and brings me to some of the most incredible places around the country — and hopefully the world soon.”

A goal throughout college was to work at Harley after graduation, “but life went in a bit of a different direction,” she says. Meza now owns her own photography business, Whit Meza Photography LLC, which she opened in 2012 in Ripon.

“I took an interest in photography right after graduation,” she says. “I began taking photographs and sharing them on my social accounts, which led to friends asking me to take their family and wedding photographs. I took two night classes to learn the ins and outs of my camera, and honestly, I never looked back,” she says.

At Ripon, Meza majored in art and business administration. “My time as a student at Ripon College was instrumental in blossoming my career/passion in creative arts: digital design, photography and videography shared through social media,” she says. “If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I had.”

Amanda Barlow ’23
Appleton, Wisconsin