Meet Purdue's Kelly Song STEAM Sports Foundation Scholarship Recipient
- STEAM Sports Foundation
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Name: Kelly Song
College: Purdue University
Hometown: Foster City, California
Major: Motorsports Engineering
Aspirational Car: Apollo Project EVO
10-Year Prediction in auto/motorsports: Hybrids will become mainstream
What You May Not Know About Me: I play varsity esports for IUI!
Kelly Talks About the Foundation's Recent Immersion Tour
How did you get so interested in the auto/motorsports industry?
I went to an IMSA race at Laguna Seca when I was younger and fell in love with the sound of the LMDh cars switching from electric to gas. I still remember the rush I got from first stepping onto the track and hearing the cars. The general atmosphere was so welcoming to me, and I never felt like I was alone or couldn’t interact with the teams.
What automotive aspect interests you the most?
I’m a big fan of hybrids from both an efficiency and environmental aspect. A lot of people shy away from electrification or alternative fuels, but I truly believe we need to innovate to secure our future. We already see lots of success with hybrid systems in Formula 1, WEC, IMSA, etc.
How do you approach the challenges of being a minority engineering student in what has been traditionally a non-minority career path?
In this field, there is unfortunately a lot of discrimination against minorities. Something I learned early on is that you need to be your own advocate and stand up for yourself whenever possible. I also surround myself with people that support me and stay away from people that try to drag me down.
What would you like your first job/career opportunity to be?
I would love to work in Formula E or any endurance series and travel the world while gaining more knowledge about battery and software systems.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Ten years from now, I hope to have worked in multiple levels of the motorsports/automotive industry. I want to work in Formula E on developing faster charging systems and carry that over to road cars to make electric vehicles more appealing. I also want to have done work with an automotive company to develop a hybrid sports car. Eventually, I want to work on automotive software such as ADAS and self-driving as well.
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