The Torrance Unified School District’s Girls Cardboard Regatta is a signature event our employees and contractors look forward to every year. As the presenting sponsor of the 6th annual Regatta, Torrance Refinery’s employee support group WinSWE (Women’s Interest Network/Society of Women Engineers) were eager to volunteer to help middle and high school students build vessels and set sail at the Torrance Aquatic Center.
Economics and Planning manager Samaneh Fatemi represented the company and delivered the keynote address, shared her academic journey to become an engineer, her career highlights, and offered the teens advice for their futures.
In teams of four or five, the girls were challenged with creating a water-worthy vessel out of only cardboard and duct tape to float one length of the pool. Company volunteers and local business MOOG, Inc. helped mentor the students in engineering as they designed and constructed their vessels. Jefferson Middle School and North Torrance High were the victors!
The event drew record participation from Torrance schools, including every middle school and all but one high school. Approximately 300 girls competed.
Torrance Refinery Process Engineer Cici Brooks enjoyed mentoring students during her first Regatta, “This volunteer event was a blast! The girls produced some great designs, demonstrating problem solving skills, creativity, and teamwork. It was especially exciting to get questions from the high school students about pursuing an academic and professional career in engineering. And it was rewarding to be able to share my experience,” said Cici.