The road to success is never easy. Every successful person has stories of setbacks and how they overcame them. Throughout my life and career, I've noticed the Difference between Success and Failure is Resilience. I sometimes wonder: is Resilience innate, is it taught through tough lessons, or is it a combination of both? Resilience is defined as 'the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.' It has been an integral part of my personal character, and a key component of how I took the lessons I learned from my first business failing to build Wartech Engineering While I was watching real time updates of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team racing across Australia I realized something. I was deep in conversation with a few of my teammates from the 1993 Solar Car Team, all cheering for an amazing 1st day. The 2023 team started in 32nd place because they couldn't finish the hot lap due to technical difficulties. But they didn't quit. They fixed the problem, started the race, and overtook 26 cars to land in 6th to finish Day 1. Against so many odds, they looked the possibility of failure in the face and pushed onward. This is an experience that will likely shape how they respond to obstacles in the future, in life and in business. After some introspection, that's when my realization came: it was lessons like this that took the Resilience I was born with and strengthened it. I look at Resilience like steel: Strong in the beginning, but made Stronger by being forged in the hottest fires. The STEM Education experience I had with the 1993 Solar car team at the University of Michigan provided me valuable lessons I needed to get knocked down and overcome. It is truly fulfilling to watch the STEM Education process come full circle, to be strengthened by it, sponsor the next generation, and watch them benefit much in the same way I did 30 years ago. STEM Education works. I believe in it because I lived it, and I am still living it. That being said, Good luck to this year’s Solar Car Team. Congratulations on your progress in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge race so far, may you carry this experience with you in perpetuity. You have my support, and the support of Wartech Engineering, now and years to come. Continue to ‘Earn the Victory, Move the World.' Last but not Least, GO BLUE! #engineering #STEMeducation #goblue #teamwork #innovation #solar #sustainableenergy #technology Thank you to all the amazing people I had the honor of embarking on this Solar Car journey with. You have my love, support and respect. Furqan Nazeeri , Dan Ross , Andy Carmody , Andris Samsons , Birger de la Pena , Kevin Cain , Kristine (Gearhart) Smoltz , Jennifer Kott-Bobowski , Lesley Camblin , Michael Kanemoto , Nancy Nelson , Jeff Reece , Tom Rinke , Bryan Theis , William Cosnowski, Jr. , Deanna Hoffman , Harry Yates , Ketan Patel , Andrew Walberer , Chad Mentzer , Chito Garcia , Stephen Lukachko
Well said Andy. I had the privilege of following the team along from Darwin to Adelaide representing the communications and marketing department at COE. This was a special group. Not once did I see them butt heads. Every obstacle that arose the came together. It was something special to see as a staff member and made me proud to work at the University of Michigan.
Inspiring read, Andy. Thanks for sharing.
Well said, Andy!
Hello Andy - I just read your memory from the 1993 Australian solar car race. Congratulations to the 2023 race team. What an outstanding result following the terrible race start placement. I thought you might like a photo of the 1993 Andy, another shot of the boys standing on top of Uluru, a line up of the team vehicles including the truck that I drove and one of the 1993 Maize and Blue car itself. Regards Neil Taylor
Team Manager at Haven Home Safe
6moSome of the team on top of Uluru (Ayers Rock)