Alumni stories beyond the track: Americas
Changemakers of Tomorrow: Episode 5
Last updated: November 8, 2024
Meet Charles from Canada, Sam from the United States and Alberto from Mexico, three former Shell Eco-marathon participants as they reflect on their experience in the competition and talk about how it has unlocked new skills and opportunities for them.
Shell Eco-marathon: Americas alumni
Pursuing a new engineering field
Alberto, who was part of Team Eco-Volt from Mexico, was initially studying Electrical Engineering. Through joining his university’s Shell Eco-marathon team, he was able to discover and learn about an entirely different field: Mechanical Engineering.
By gaining knowledge in both fields, as well as honing his communications and project management, Alberto was able to jumpstart his career after graduating from university.
Inspiring others to compete
For Sam, a member of Sally Supermileage from the United States, joining the global engineering competition while still in high school gave her an edge in learning and applying her engineering skills.
Inspired by her experience in Shell Eco-marathon events, she now wants to get more people to participate by setting up her own team in university.
From struggling in school to thriving in his career
Charles, who came from team Alerion Supermileage in Canada, admittedly struggled with his grades early into pursuing his degree. However, through his participation in Shell Eco-marathon, he gained both the skills and confidence needed to thrive. This allowed him to pursue a Master’s Degree, and eventually landed him a Research and Development job in the shipping industry.
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About the Documentary Series
Over half of the global population is under 30 years old1. In the next three to six decades, they face not only the challenges of today but also of the future – their future, and those of the succeeding generations. Unfortunately, they are often underrepresented in conversations around sustainability, cleaner energy, and energy-efficiency. As these challenges continue to evolve, one truth is clear: the next generation of energy leaders need a platform for their ideas to be seen, heard, and understood.
Shell Eco-marathon aims to shine a light on and empower these young STEM students by providing them a global platform to develop innovative solutions to both energy- and mobility-related challenges, and truly gives them a voice when it comes to sustainability.This generation is more involved and more invested in making a real change because they are the ones who will inherit the earth and its (fragile and remaining) resources.
They are passionate about making a real change.
They are the Changemakers of Tomorrow.
These are their stories…
Follow #ShellEcoMarathon for more inspiring stories.
1 O’Neill, A. (2022, Mar 23). “Global population by age in 2020.” Statista. Retrieved on Aug 11, 2022.