The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ended the middle school and freshmen years of these high school students. It also complicated their plans to build solar-powered cars and participate in a cross-country race. Unfortunately, even this year, the race was cut in half due to another outbreak of COVID-19. Despite the disappointment, the students are taking away valuable skills and lessons for their future endeavors in engineering and beyond. Aria Wang, the team captain from Polytechnic High, expressed that the racing days were enjoyable while they lasted. Kai Herman, who worked on the electrical components of the Pasadena team’s car, shared his experience of gaining hands-on knowledge in engineering. Polytechnic High and Palmdale High were among the 15 schools worldwide that qualified for this year’s Solar Car Challenge. Both teams were cleared to start racing after going through inspections and making last-minute fixes in Fort Worth. They had a week to accumulate as many solar-powered miles as possible while traveling between Fort Worth and Palmdale. Despite enduring extreme heat conditions, the students made it to El Paso before they received news that a significant number of staff and students had tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the increasing numbers and limited medical resources in small towns along the route, the decision was made to end the race in El Paso. It was a disappointing turn of events considering the months or years the students put into building their cars. The race rankings were determined based on the first three days of the competition. Polytechnic High finished second out of four teams in the introductory classic division, while Palmdale High finished fourth out of five teams in the advanced classic division. For a team that was relatively new to the race, Polytechnic High achieved impressive results. The team would have reached even more miles if not for an incident known as “Afrogate,” where a team member lost points for not wearing a required bucket hat. Despite the setback, the team displayed a mellow and supportive nature, as they even received an additional trophy from another team for assisting them with a welder. Palmdale High’s Solar Falcons team also made a respectable effort, logging 123.3 miles and finishing fourth in their division. Although it was a drop from their previous third-place finish, the team had to reconstruct their vehicle to meet new safety regulations. The students from both schools have learned valuable lessons in flexibility, creativity, hard work, dedication, and entrepreneurship. The experience has far-reaching effects beyond engineering, as it has brought together individuals with various interests and backgrounds. Participating in the Solar Car Challenge has been proven to increase the likelihood of students pursuing science or engineering careers. Aria Wang will continue her studies in engineering physics at Yale University, with a goal of contributing to the development of clean alternative energy sources. The sustainability aspect of the challenge resonates strongly with her, as she has previously taught lessons on climate change and advocated for sustainability. She sees the solar car project as a step towards a more sustainable future.
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