Rotary STRIVE Scholars and members of the STRIVE committee enjoyed a terrific experience learning about autonomous vehicles and the opportunities for Washtenaw Community College students.  Along with Pathways Counselor Marisa Bailey-Johnson, Rotarians Amy Goodman, Leo Shedden, Arthur Williams, and Nana Yawson, six STRIVE students traveled to the Bosch facility in Plymouth on February 21.

Our STRIVERS were welcomed by a team that was especially pulled together with their possible interests in mind and led by an engineer who enthusiastically shared his story with the kids.  He started as a line worker at GM, finished his AA degree at Washtenaw Community College and became an engineer after transferring to UM. Twenty years later he loves his job and works hard to mentor community college students.

The Bosch team outlined opportunities specifically for community college students including paid internships and tuition support.   The kids also met two current interns, one from Oakland Community College and the other from Wayne Community College.  These interns were not working in the mail room!  They proudly shared the switch boxes they created to further the work on the prototype vehicles that included a Shelby Mustang, and several SUVs.

On the drive back to Pathways, the STRIVE students watched a video about the programs at Washtenaw Community College that lead to opportunities at BOSCH in advanced transportation, the intersection of manufacturing and technology.   And, they all received a folder full of ideas from our friends at Washtenaw Community College.  The STRIVE Scholars were engaged and asked great questions throughout the experience: the connection to possible fields of study at WCC was clear.

Many thanks to our new friends at Bosch and the team at Washtenaw Community College, Barbara Hauswirth, Experiential Learning Coordinator, andAlan Lecz, Advanced Transportation Center Director.  And, thanks to Sean Duval at Golden Limo for sharing the cost of transportation.

By Amy Goodman