Alumni
Meet the heart and soul of our entire operation. Established in 1988, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition has seen more than 30,000 students graduated from its program. AVTC’s competitions span 13 different series. Its graduates have gone on to work in various areas of the automotive industry all over the world.
Where Are They Now
Stay up-to-date with AVTC alumni. Check out how their not only forming their own legacies across academia, government and industry, but how they’re also impacting their communities.
From competing to overseeing: Brian Castillo unpacks new Stellantis battery validation engineer role
September 16, 2025By Em Jankauski Seven BattChallenge alums have been hired by Stellantis. We’re featuring Brian Castillo — Stellantis’ new battery validation engineer — who was involved in year one and two […]
From BattChallenge to industry: Stellantis hires project manager Isabel Builes
September 11, 2025By Em Jankauski Seven year two BattChallengers have been hired at Stellantis. Give it up for Isabel Builes — a new project manager hire for Stellantis’ propulsion systems department and [...]
Talent pipeline coming to fruition: Meet BattChallenge to Stellantis hire Mahmoud Al Akchar
September 9, 2025By Em Jankauski Seven Battery Workforce Challenge alums from year two of the competition have been hired at Stellantis — making this the single biggest competition-to-workforce class in the program’s [...]
Returning to his roots: Jon Darrow joins BattChallenge leadership
August 11, 2025By Em Jankauski The final year of the Battery Workforce Challenge is nearly underway. A new year means new introductions. Meet Jon Darrow — the newest BattChallenge Executive Steering Committee [...]
From the BattChallenge to StarPlus Energy: Darrian Herniter’s transforming the EV battery industry
September 27, 2024By Em Jankauski Destiny is all about the decisions we make. Darrian Herniter took charge of hers when she joined the Battery Workforce Challenge collegiate competition as part of her [...]
EcoCAR alumnus Ravi Saripella raising the bar, inspiring BattChallengers to take on the global energy challenge
September 18, 2024By Em Jankauski Good mentors challenge their mentees. Great mentors raise the bar, inspiring their mentees to go further than they ever dreamed. Meet Ravi Saripella who’s inspiring the next [...]
Alumni Portal
Alumni Involvement
Are you an AVTC alum? Pay it forward and get involved with AVTCs. Remember, as an alum, you bring true value, depth and quality from your experience to inspire the next generation of AVTC competitors.
Connect
Stay connected with us by following the Battery Workforce Challenge and EcoCAR EV Challenge across their social media platforms. To do so, scroll to the bottom of our webpage and click each social media icon underneath each competition's respective section. From here, you can select to follow us on each social media platform.
Inform
Inform others about the two AVTCs and the great accomplishments each series' students make. Whether it is sending AVTC news to your colleagues, featuring an AVTC article or update on your website or social media, you can play an important role in raising awareness about our AVTCs.
Mentor
Are you an alum from a team that's currently participating in an AVTC series? Become a mentor to the team by signing up for its newsletter, following them on social media, lending your expertise or assisting them in finding local sponsors. You can explore current BattChallenge and EcoCAR teams at their respective team pages links.
Sponsor
AVTCs bring education and training to the next generation of automotive engineers, but we can’t do it without sponsors. Not only do sponsors gain high-profile visibility and a chance to demonstrate their products and services to the next generation of the auto industry workers, but they also have the opportunity to recruit from hundreds of North America’s top engineering, business and communication graduates. For more information on how your company or organization could benefit from sponsoring an AVTC, contact [email protected]
Volunteer
Competitions are multi-dimensional and rely on a vast network of organizers, sponsors and volunteers. In the past, alumni have helped by volunteering at competition and workshop events to support both the Battery Workforce Challenge and EcoCAR EV Challenge. This includes various volunteer efforts such as running a static event presentation or picking up cones at the Autocross Event. Volunteering is a way to be a part of the excitement and energy of the competitions, whether you have a few days or a few hours. For location and dates of upcoming volunteer opportunities, visit the upcoming events section on the homepage of the website.
