GRANITE FALLS — Elizabeth Matalomani was shocked when she received her second semester schedule at Granite Falls High School and saw that she was enrolled in a manufacturing class.
Manufacturing?
The 14-year-old freshman hadn’t signed up for it and had never really even thought about it before it popped up on her schedule.
These days, she’s glad she’s been learning her way around a lathe, a scroll saw, a band saw, a drill press and other shop equipment.
It’ll come in handy. Matalomani is one of about 70 girls from Granite Falls High School who plan to construct a wind tunnel and research, design and build a fuel-efficient car from scratch to compete in a national competition next spring.
Event organizers believe Granite Falls will have the first all-girl team to enter the Shell Co. competition, which is an annual event for students to build a car that can go the greatest distance on the least amount of fuel. Typically, only a handful of girls participate.
“Since we are an all-girl team, people don’t know what to expect from us,” Matalomani said. “We can do just about anything.”
A $10,000 federal grant that aims to prepare girls for high-demand jobs in nontraditional fields got the car-building project rolling. The girls will hone their skills in drafting, engineering, math, computer science, computer-aided design, marketing and communication.
Michael Werner, the school’s manufacturing instructor, pushed for the grant. He said he sees no reason why the girls can’t succeed.
“They’re equally bright and intelligent as the boys,” he said.
Werner recruited some girls, who began recruiting others. They found widespread interest.
“It’s empowering,” Matalomani said. “Girls don’t usually just build a car.”
Eighteen girls recently visited the Western Washington University Vehicle Research Institute to learn about wind tunnels and testing aerodynamic features of cars.
Last month, six girls traveled to the Shell Eco-marathon competition in California, where they got a close and personal look at what awaits them.
“It took it from a classroom here and photos and a video to seeing it, hearing it, being able to talk to other teams and look at cars,” Werner said. “I think the biggest thing they heard was everyone has encouraging words. Not one person said, ‘Girls are doing it. No way.’”
The girls plan to compete in a diesel car category at the Shell Eco-marathon car race. Their goal is to get more than 500 miles to the gallon.
There will be much to learn between now and then — as well as a series of deadlines. Some will work on the project as part of their manufacturing courses next year. Many will teach middle school students about what they are learning over the summer.
For now, they are early in the design stage, building a foam model that can be tested for aerodynamics.
“This is a complete learning experience for all of us and we are in it together,” said Brittney MacKenzie, 17, a junior, who shocked observers by finishing second in a boy-dominated pit crew tire changing contest at the California competition.
Besides the $10,000 federal Carl Perkins grant, the Granite Falls students have received a $5,000 grant from the Center for excellence in Manufacturing and Material Process through Everett and Edmonds community colleges. They will be looking for other sponsors, too.
MacKenzie, a teacher’s assistant in a manufacturing class, said she looks forward to becoming better versed on cars to relate more to the men in her family.
“When they talk about cars, I will actually know what they are talking about, which is really cool,” MacKenzie said.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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