Competing and winning in Power Drive competitions is a goal for the students in the program. But what if the Power Drive experience helped students with goals after high school? That’s the story of Jason at one of the schools that participated in Power Drive.
Jason was in the Power Drive program all four years of his time in high school. With each successive year, he took on more and more responsibility. He started with being a Pit Crew member and assisted in car-building. He quickly became a team captain, chief designer, and primary driver.
The school’s Power Drive team certainly benefitted from Jason’s contributions. There were many strong finishes in the competition, including a state championship. His ideas and techniques continued being used for the team for many years after Jason graduated.
Jason stayed busy outside of Power Drive too. He was excellent academically, graduating at the top of his class! He knew he wanted to keep going in engineering activities, as he had done during Power Drive. He set his sights high, aiming to enroll in the California Institute of Technology, also known as “Caltech.”
Caltech is a major scientific and engineering institution, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Getting accepted there was Jason’s goal. But it would not be easy! Although Jason was at the top of his local high school class, so is nearly everyone else who applies to get into Caltech!
Although Jason was certainly qualified, the question became, how could Jason get noticed? Answer: His Power Drive experience, which was rare among high school students. The team assisted Jason in preparing a relevant story explaining Jason’s contributions, experiences, and success.
Jason, preparing for a test drive
Strengthening this further was the team’s expertise in using video. The team had begun using photography and videography two years earlier. This is due to one of the events within the Power Drive program known as “Documentation.” It requires teams to write a journal which tells about the team’s vehicle and members. The team believed in the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” So included in the Documentation entry were plenty of photos and a short video promoting the team.
Jason, driving the car to the starting line
Using this ability, the team helped Jason tell his story, including a short video of highlights of Jason’s activity on the team, emphasizing the engineering experience and leadership skill. Jason sent this material as part of his application for enrollment at Caltech. Then we waited…
Jason anxiously anticipated the date when Caltech would announce who was accepted. Surprisingly, on announcement day, Jason received a phone call, in person, from the Dean of Engineering at Caltech. The Dean told Jason that he was accepted, noting that his Power Drive experience and video really got him noticed among the applicants. Congratulations, Jason, you’re in!
Jason worked through many challenges as he and his teammates designed, built, and repaired their vehicles. This story represents overcoming one more challenge as he worked to reach his college goal. Volunteers who had videography expertise lent time and equipment to the school’s Power Drive team, enabling them to compete better, and to succeed outside of Power Drive. Please help us keep these stories coming through your volunteer time and donations!
