On Jan. 25, students at East River High School (ERHS) in East Orlando participated in two STEM-focused assemblies presented by Mazda Motorsports called Racing Accelerates Creative Education (R.A.C.E.). R.A.C.E. is a national touring program that uses the science of auto racing to inspire high school students to consider STEM-related career opportunities. More than 20,000 students have participated in the program since 2014.
During the assemblies, students were able to examine the Mazda Prototype racecar that competed in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona event from Jan. 30-31. They also met with Joel Miller, who explained how he uses his engineering background in racecar driving and shared the STEM career paths that are available to students in the industry. Miller is a mechanical engineer who drives the No. 70 Mazda Prototype in the top category of sports car racing in North America.
During the R.A.C.E. program, ERHS received a $2,500 donation from Mazda Motorsports. ERHS Principal Heather Hilton, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara, and School Board Member Joie Cadle accepted the check during a special presentation.