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Meet The 2026 Board

Alumni Quotes

Some of our graduates have gained invaluable hands-on experiences through Solar Boat Club and started their great careers in some notable companies such as Boeing, Raytheon and Northrop, while some decided to work with the government.

“For me, being a part of the Solar Boat team really epitomized the Cal Poly 'Learn by Doing' philosophy. Not only was the process of boat design and manufacturing a technical challenge, but it also served as a valuable lesson in teamwork (and leveraging each other strengths), learning from your mistakes, as well as the importance of having the right tools for the job. Best part of all was that the whole experience was genuinely fun and that I had the opportunity to share the it with great people.” -- Mikhail "Do The Thing" Cabillan, Systems Engineer at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base

“Be curious, ask questions, work hard, and stay humble.” -- Sarah Chan 

“If you stay curious, ask questions, and lend a hand when able, you might just make something great.” -- Zachary Annala

“Know where the fire extinguisher, breaker box, and first aid kit are. When in doubt, ask someone who's legally liable for your action” -- Kevin Jiang

“Coffee drives the engine of innovation” -- Ian Weber

“You, alone, are capable of 70% of knowledge and potential, 99% when we all work together, and 100% if we are willing to achieve it. ” -- Joe Li

“The most challenging aspect was balancing school with solar boat, adding more work with classes the required a challenging project themselves was a lot to manage. The benefits of that grueling schedule outweighed all the chaos, from the experience I gained knowledge I could only learn through a professional environment. Also it helped me learn how to compose myself under pressure, which has translated well into my current career and helped me progress. Best of luck in Solar Boat.” -- SAFAT KAZI, Validation Engineer II at Edward Lifesciences

“I focused more on the outreach side of things. Tried to make material that was intriguing to possible sponsors and new members. When we first started, we had no knowledge of the engineering side of things other than what we learned from members. We took the chance to get involved in something that's out of the usual range of a political science student. We were also considering switching majors to engineering so the experience helped us learn more of the mechanical logistics that we would have learned in the classroom.” -- Melissa Peterson, Assistant Deputy for Tech and Innovation at City of Los Angeles

“My experience with the Solar Boat Club was really insightful and thought-provoking. You get a very hands-on experience with various materials such as carbon fiber and epoxy, and also get a close-up look at the essential components of the boat, such as the motors, drivetrain, and solar panels. You are expected to make great contributions in design and maintenance, while at the same time learning on the fly. One great thing is, even if you don't know much about this stuff, if you are starting totally anew in engineering, you can still learn a great amount of material in this club. It is a very rewarding experience, and I would encourage anyone new to check it out.” -- Kevin Te, Mechanical Engineer.

"Keeping everything running smoothly, both UI and UX design, in the background while also working on the hull/boat AND balancing school work was exhausting, and definitely rewarding. As the media manager, in charge of the year's worth of videos and photos was a enormous undertaking. Organization was key in being able to compile the pictures, videos, time lapses to present in video format etc. - Most awarding experience was being able to see the work that the team and I had put in, seeing the boat in action and competing while making unforgettable memories/experiences." -- Cliff Chang, Mechanical Engineer at Department of Defense