4 years on the team; Attending the University of Washington; Majoring in Aerospace Engineering

My four years on the RAHS Green Energy Team were truly life changing. I loved spending hours in the shop learning from our fantastic mentor and my peers. It taught me significantly more than I imagined it would when I first joined the team as a freshman. I learned about both sides of mentorship, and I learned how to think on my own. Schoolwork always had a constraint that working on a solar car team did not. I solved open-ended engineering challenges and the lessons I learned are still important to me today. I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of this amazing team.

4 years on the team; University of Washington; Engineering Major

I was a member of the solar car team for all four years I attended RAHS and the impact this team has had on me cannot be overstated. I am often very quick to tell people that no matter how much I learned in school, I always learned more through the hands-on work of the team, both soft skills in communication with potential sponsors, parents and other team members as well as more physical skills, such as those gained in the shop, testing the car, and especially in Texas. However, the most important thing I feel I gained was an amazing community with friends and connections that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. To this day it is one of the most impactful and important things I’ve ever been a part of and I doubt that will change any time soon.

3 years on the team; Attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA; Majoring in Plant Sciences; Minor in Architecture

Being part of the RAHS solar car team was an incredible experience, and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to join, despite not attending the school. Through my 3 years on the team, I gained hands-on STEM skills like soldering, welding, and telemetry, and developed useful life skills such as fundraising and outreach, public speaking, and project management—skills that continue to benefit me throughout college. This experience taught me the kind of problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills that no classroom could ever fully replicate. It was an incredible and unforgettable opportunity to grow both technically and personally.

4 years on the team; Attending Oregon State University; Majoring in Mechanical Engineering

They say that hands-on is the best way to learn, and this team was an amazing opportunity for me to get hands-on experience early on in my career. Now I am studying mechanical engineering at Oregon State University, have a remote internship at Directed Machines, and am a member of the Human Powered Submarine Team on-campus.

1 year on the team; University of Washington graduate; Snohomish Flying Service 141 Flight School graduate 2023; BS Biology, BA Spanish; FAA Commercial Pilot SEL/SES/MEL CFI, CFII, AGI

Being on the solar-powered car team not only gave me lifelong friendships and camaraderie through working together as a team to overcome tough challenges, but it also taught me invaluable practical skills. I learned the importance of collaboration, as we had to constantly communicate and coordinate to ensure every part of the car was functioning perfectly. The experience also honed my problem-solving abilities, as we often had to troubleshoot unexpected issues on the fly. Additionally, working with cutting-edge technology provided me with hands-on experience that deepened my understanding of engineering principles and innovation. The experience has had a lasting impact on my personal and professional growth, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities it provided.

4 years on the team; 2023 graduate; University of Washington, Majoring in Mechanical Engineering

Joining the solar car team was a transformative experience that shaped my journey as an engineer. It took me from being an aspiring engineer to a hands-on, active designer, turning ideas into reality. Through this experience, I gained the skills and confidence to secure internships and university admissions, setting me on the path to a future in engineering.

2 years on the team; MIT; Aerospace Engineering Major

In high school the solar car was my favorite project and group of people to work with. Despite how things looked with Covid, it kept me motivated to keep doing stem work and provided a great way to connect and meet up with people outside of the virtual school. Most of all, I’m glad I worked on the team for the personal and technical growth I developed working on it, as well as the great opportunity it provided for the students of Raisbeck to contribute and have a great time competing in.

Founding member and Team Captain, 1 year on the team; University of California, Berkeley graduate; Mechanical Engineering Major

Before the Solar Car Team, the most complex thing I’d ever built was a small 50W wind turbine, and without this team, that might’ve been the height of my engineering aspirations. The Solar Car Team gave me challenges and responsibilities I never thought I was capable of and forced me and my teammates to rise to the occasion. Being on the team taught me to create and execute program timelines, to lead and integrate multiple complex electro-mechanical systems with competing requirements, and to always question requirements. It also taught me to design parts that could be manufactured, gave me hands-on shop experience well beyond my peers, and gave me the invaluable opportunity to apply first principles to solve engineering problems from concept to finished product for the first time. 

1 year on the team, Co-captain

I believe you perform as you train and the solar car race is the perfect low stakes environment for future engineers, planners, project managers, marketers, and every other discipline involved to practice every step along the way between a drawing on a Starbucks napkin to crossing the finish line in a street legal and insured electric car.