IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - 40

we've had to travel and meet new people
and to see all that I've been able to do at
such a young age."
For Awald, whose interest in engineering dates back further than the
other girls, going into the competition,
she was all about the engineering. But
"this experience has really extended my
abilities beyond STEM," she explains.
"Between building on presentation and
social skills, meeting new people, and
experiencing other cultures, a giant plus
has been becoming more well rounded."
Saldanha, who is both the manufacturing engineer and a graphic designer for
the team, says "I've really loved how we
can go to a competition and there are
people from all over the world with a
Team Shift accepting the Outstanding Sportsmanship award at the World Finals
common interest. We're not only comcompetition in Abu Dhabi in October 2012.
petitors but we become friends."
Now, even as the girls look forward to
the next year of competitions, they have
arrow, when shot, flies straight and
a drive stronger than ever to represent
other goals in mind. "As a team, one of
fast." Afterward, they designed a 3-D car
the United States as a unit the following
our goals is to get more girls involved
in CAD software and then virtually testyear. By the time they traveled back to
in STEM programs," says Awald. "It has
ed it, using the results to make tweaks
Michigan for the 2012 Nationals comhelped us so much and we want girls
to their model. "Once we're happy with
petition, they had changed their entire
to see that, if this is what they want to
a design," says Awald, "we manufacture
image. "We changed our name to Team
do, they can't let the boys in the field
the car that way."
Shift to show that we had shifted from
intimidate them." Adds Saldanha, "We
In Abu Dhabi, the arrow design
middle school girls who didn't expect
don't want other girls to experience what
served the girls well: they had the fourth
anything to young women who knew
we did in our first competition, which
fastest car (racing a distance of 20 m in
that we could do this," says Fitzgerald.
was being looked down upon because
1.059 s) and took eighth place overall, out
As the newly renamed team, the girls
we were an all-girls team." To spread
of 33 teams in the world. But that wasn't
took first place and began to prepare for
their encouraging message, they are
all. "We won the Outstanding Sportstheir first solo entry at the World Finals
looking to do an outreach program with
manship award," says McCoy. "We were
in Abu Dhabi in October 2012.
local schools or a church and to team
also nominated for best portfolio and for
"It takes about four or five months
up with the F1 in Schools U.S. office
the FIA Women in Motor Sport Award."
to prepare for the World Finals after
to help promote the program at more
It isn't just the accolades that the
Nationals," explains McCoy, the team's
schools. "One of our sponsors
girls find rewarding: each
design engineer and graphic designer.
is Women in Technology,
says that she has learned
"We divide up the work, so someone
and we are going to work
something about herself
designs the car and tests it while some"The most
with them to promote
and grown personally
one else is designing the portfolio."
rewarding thing
the program as well,"
through the experiSince the rules are changed slightly
has been watching
says Saldanha.
ence of participating
going from the national to international
The girls are eager
in the F1 in Schools
competitions, teams typically improve
my self-confidence
to team up with their
program. For Fitzgertheir cars by using some of the proven
grow," Fitzgerald
sponsors, to whom
ald, "the most rewardstrategies to make them even faster.
says.
t hey a re incredibly
ing thing ha s been
To design their car, "we take inspiragrateful for the support
watching my self-confition from other Formula One cars and
they've received. "All of what
dence grow. I've learned so
add in our own concepts and ideas,"
we've accomplished over the past
much about myself while getting
says Awald, also a Team Shift design
four years would not have been possible
to work alongside these ladies, which
engineer. For the Abu Dhabi finals, the
without our sponsors," explains Fitzgerhas been a fantastic experience." McCoy
girls were inspired to use a standard
ald. "They've supported us, believed
cites a feeling of accomplishment, saying
arrow to inform the body of their car.
in us, and we could never thank them
"I'm so grateful for the opportunities
As explained on their Web site, "an

40

IEEE women in engineering magazine

June 2013	



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013

IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - Cover1
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - Cover2
IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - 1
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IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2013 - Cover3
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