“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,”- This is a quote I have learned to embrace as I begin my professional life as an engineer. I feel fortunate to have a clear vision for my career and my experiences at Carlisle played a significant role in shaping that discovery and passion. I attended my first Carlisle Event at the age of seven when my grandfather brought his ‘74 Corvette to Corvettes at Carlisle. At the time, my knowledge of cars was limited as I had not yet been bitten by the metaphorical “car bug.” As such, I spent my time shining up the car to prepare it for the parade as a member of “Pap Pap’s Pit Crew.” However, Corvettes at Carlisle turned into an annual August event, and it was here I learned about the engineers who developed Corvettes. From these moments, my career aspiration to be an engineer in the automotive industry was born. With each year at Corvettes at Carlisle, I spent less time in the kids’ tent and more time walking the fairgrounds with my grandfather, attending everything from automotive demonstrations at the grandstand to talks with the engineers. It was through networking with onsite engineers that my passion for Corvettes and the automotive industry grew. I asked them questions about where I should go to college and how I could set myself apart from other aspiring automotive engineers. They helped me pick Purdue University, a top engineering school in the country with coursework tailored to automotive engineering, and pushed me to gain hands-on experience with cars. I subsequently purchased a 1991 Mazda Miata, which I used as a project car to gain that valuable hands-on experience which reinforced my passion for the industry. I received a professional reference from Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder, which has allowed me to obtain a summer internship as a Global Product Development Engineer at General Motors in 2026. Corvettes at Carlisle became more than just a car show I attended with my grandfather; it became an experience that allowed me to find my career goal to become a member of the Corvette engineering team. Outside of my time at Carlisle, I have continued my pursuit of an automotive engineering career through hobbies and clubs. I am a vehicle dynamics engineer on the Purdue Electric Formula SAE team where we collectively work to build an electric race car from the ground up. I am also part of a Purdue Grand Prix team, which competes in the largest collegiate go kart race in the country. With my team, Spark Motorsports, I will be taking a leadership role as crew chief next year. Collectively, these experiences are paving the way to reach my career goals by providing me with the leadership, technical, and hands on skills to work in the automotive industry. My desire to become an automotive engineer comes from the ability to impact many people. Cars are a major part of daily life and one of the few technologies where engineering can evoke emotion. Using math and physics to tune handling creates a more immersive experience, while safety features like automatic braking and blind spot monitoring increase driver confidence. I can thank Corvettes at Carlisle for not only turning me into a Corvette enthusiast but also for helping me discover automotive engineering as a career path. I look forward to the day when I can stand in the Corvette tent at Carlisle, not as an attendee, but as a Corvette engineer, proudly representing the GM engineering team.

Confucius said, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” and I couldn't agree more. Thanks to my grandparents, I discovered my interest in machines at an early age by working on tractors at their John Deere dealership just outside of Pittsburgh. Under the mentorship of my grandfather, in his garage, I learned the intricacies of how machines function. My interest shifted from tractors to automobiles after attending my first Corvettes at Carlisle at the age of seven. My grandfather, known to me as PapPap, brought his ‘74 Corvette to my first Corvettes at Carlisle experience. At the time, my knowledge of cars was limited, and I had not yet been bitten by the metaphorical “car bug.” I spent my time shining up the car to prepare it for the parade as a member of “PapPap’s Pit Crew.” Corvettes at Carlisle turned into an annual August event, and it was here that I learned that the people who developed the Corvettes were engineers. From that moment, my career aspirations in the automotive industry were born. With each year spent at Corvettes at Carlisle, I spent less time in the kid’s tent and more time walking the fairgrounds with my PapPap, attending everything from demonstrations at the grandstand to engineering talks. It was here that my enthusiasm for Corvettes and automotive engineering grew through networking with onsite engineers and fellow Corvette enthusiasts. I obtained career advice and learned about the design choices behind the newest Corvette models. Corvettes at Carlisle became more than just a car show I attended with my grandfather; it became the spark for my career goal – to become a member of the Corvette engineering team. Building on this foundation, I am currently in my second semester in the mechanical engineering program at Purdue University. Here, I participate in Purdue Electric Racing, an electric Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team, to gain hands-on engineering experience and expand my automotive knowledge. This summer, I was selected to participate in a study abroad program in Italy, where I will spend time at Brembo and Ferrari. I can thank Corvettes at Carlisle for not only turning me into a Corvette enthusiast but also for helping me discover automotive engineering as a career path. I look forward to the day when I can stand in the Corvette tent at Carlisle, not as an attendee, but as a Corvette engineer, proudly representing the GM engineering team.