March 19, 2025
By Mikey Fuller

Circuit boards, carbon fiber, and solar cells aren’t just integral components found on Student Competition Center (SCC) teams' cars or robotics projects—they're also transformed into fashionable accessories by the Women of the SCC program.

In celebration of Galentine’s Day, the Women of the SCC hosted a networking event where members crafted custom friendship bracelets using charms and beads made from materials sourced directly from the cars and robots representing the various SCC teams.

Some bracelets contained circuit boards from EcoCAR, RoboJackets, and HyTech Racing, solar cells from Georgia Tech Solar Racing, carbon fiber from GT Motorsports, headlights from Wreck Racing, and Georgia red clay from GT Off-Road. Attendees used waterjet cutters, drills, and other tools to create the pieces.

Nandana Avasarala, a mechanical engineering student and SCC social and outreach chair, said incorporating materials from each team’s car or robot made the activity even more meaningful. 

“We wanted to create an experience that not only showcased the strong bonds between SCC members but also highlighted the impressive work being done by each team,” Avasarala said.

Earlier this month, Avasarala, Elizabeth Baker (HyTech Racing president and computer engineering student), Ariana Garbers (SCC vice president of engagement and industrial engineering master's student), and Emily Winters (SCC president and mechanical engineering student) delivered some of those bracelets to Devesh Ranjan, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair and professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. The gesture was a thank-you for his support of the SCC.

“We wanted to gift these friendship bracelets to Dr. Ranjan as a token of appreciation for everything the Woodruff School and he have done for us,” Avasarala said. “We will all miss him when he goes to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and we hope that these bracelets convey just how grateful we are for his support.”

With support from the College of Engineering, the Women of the SCC is part of an initiative that Rhett Mayor, associate professor in the Woodruff School, helped establish to create pathways for women to move into careers in major motorsports competitions. Mayor also serves as the faculty advisor for the SCC.

For members of the Women of the SCC, social events are more than just a chance to network—they’re a way to form lasting friendships, receive career and academic advice from upperclassmen, and build a stronger community.

“Whether it’s designing racecars, off-road vehicles, or robots, we’re all motivated by a shared purpose as engineers,” Avasarala said. “This creates a diverse, unique community, and social events like the Galentine's Day Celebration are important because they reinforce that community. Students can make friends and find mentors, members learn about the work that other teams are doing, and we all have a great time while doing it.”

The SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and fosters engineering innovation amongst more than 1,200 students from all majors and backgrounds. These teams all compete at the top of their class in collegiate engineering design competitions across the globe. 

Winters, who became president because of her love for the SCC community, shared her passion for the program. 

“The SCC is where I’ve grown as an engineer, machinist, designer, and leader,” she said. “I want everyone at Georgia Tech to experience the incredible learning and growth opportunities the SCC provides.”