Rosendin Electric Inspires Local Students to Pursue STEM Careers

Glendale, Arizona (April 29, 2019)—Rosendin, the electrical contracting industry’s largest employee-owned firm, is proud to recognize all the students who took part in the 9th annual “Racing the Sun” program and competition. Rosendin has been a program sponsor since 2016, mentoring students and teaching them how to construct a solar powered go kart over the course of a school year. This year, Rosendin worked with students from Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona, to prepare them for Race Day on April 27.

More than 100 students from 12 Arizona schools competed with their custom-made solar-powered karts on the 1,264 meter track at the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona. The Rosendin and Independence High School team placed sixth overall, and their fastest lap time was 80.219 seconds.

“At Rosendin, we are constantly looking for opportunities to introduce students to the potential of a career in electrical contracting, construction and engineering,” said Brandon Stephens, division manager at Rosendin. “We want to encourage students of all ages that there are many science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) paths available to them. We are proud to support programs like Racing the Sun as one of our many workforce development initiatives to create the Rosendin employees of tomorrow.”

Rosendin employees also bring student teams into its prefabrication department to introduce them to new ideas and best practices for building their go-kart.  

“Racing the Sun” is a STEM program that started in 2011 to teach students to solve problems using solar energy in a real-world experience. Students must complete a series of milestones, participate in workshops, create technical drawings, conduct presentations, work with mentors like Rosendin employees and attend field trips.

“’Racing the Sun’ addresses a top concern facing many companies—the lack of a skilled STEM workforce. The program is designed to introduce students to career pathways in STEM-based industries,” said Matt Massic, the engineering instructor at Independence High School. “We are grateful for the support that companies like Rosendin provide, including both supporting the program generally, as well as helping one of our student teams learn from some of the best in the industry.”

For more information, visit techparks.arizona.edu/solar-zone/racing-sun.