Written by Conner Neeley
This year, The Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College Battery Workforce Challenge (BWC) team has come together to hone their skills by uniting students from many different fields and majors. What began as a group of novices has transitioned into important roles and a multi-disciplinary team, where each of our team members has grown through this challenge.
Every day, the team leads bring their passion and dedication into their craft through the BWC program. Mathew Garduño, Joe Borgerson, and Gabe Runyon comprise the team’s veterans across all 3 years, mentoring and developing incredible talent through people such as the Gabriel Lamba, Rex Dornoo, and Tahmina Fatima.
“It has taught me what it’s like to work in an industry setting as well as how to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to real-world problems,” said Tahmina Fatima, Vehicle Systems Integration Lead and second-year member of the team. “I learn something new every day, and no two days are same,” she added. Tahmina has grown to be a quintessential member of the team through her commitment to the program.
Because the program develops its members into leaders, the team can be a powerful gateway for students to gain invaluable experiences. The Assistant Project Manager, Rex Dornoo is a perfect example with his testimonial adding, “As a freshman with no engineering experience, I was welcomed as part of the team and given a role I could handle but also grow within. If you also want to push yourself outside you comfort zone in a rewarding environment, the Battchallenge is the place to be.”
BattScholar Liaison Mathew Garduño, has been an invaluable member from Ohio State’s vocational associate, Columbus State Community College. In looking at the relationship between the schools, Mathew stressed that this program has never once functioned as a partnership between universities. Instead, they are a unified team motivated by a common passion across 10 different majors. When looking at his own personal journey, Mathew said, “The Batt Challenge has not only given me the chance to grow as an industry professional but has also opened many doors within my career.”
Project Manager Gabriel Lamba has been with the program for two years and has seen much progress across the challenge. He looks forward to the future and all their goals saying, “I am most looking forward to the moment the Ram ProMaster runs on under our battery pack’s power. Everything the team has been working on since year one leads to that point and achieving that goal will be incredible.”
As the team transitions into year three, they continue to rally behind their differences to build a spectacular end product. From the team’s international students to their Ohio natives, The Ohio State and Columbus State team is ready to keep growing, learning and shaping the future of mobility.
Educators, industry leaders, and students are encouraged to continue supporting such endeavors, paving the way for a more innovative future. To keep up with the team’s journey, latest events and updates, follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn (@BattChallengeOSU).
