As an automotive technician I always asked why things worked the way they did. One of my co-workers suggested if I wanted to know why, I should become an engineer. So I did.
I was offered a scholarship to the University of Idaho and the opportunity to be a part of Idaho’s
Mechanical Engineering Formula SAE program. In 2009, our team took its car to the competition in Fontana, California.
The
Vandal Racing Team placed 13th out of more than 50 teams. The car and team are judged in both static and dynamic events for design innovations, cost to manufacture, marketability, durability, reliability, fuel economy, and , overall performance. The final challenge was an endurance race – 14 miles, which we completed, moving us past other top engineering schools in the final standings.
This year we are working on a hybrid gas/electric vehicle to take to New Hampshire in May 2011. The design is sure to turn heads and will put the University of Idaho on the map for innovative ideas in the automotive world.
The education and experience I am getting at Idaho will prepare me for a job with a leading auto manufacturer, working in the science of automobiles. My wife and children give me the support and encouragement to pursue my dreams, and
thanks to the generous support of donors like you I will soon turn those dreams into reality.
