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Colton Miles: A Drive for Design

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter.

Colton Miles: A Drive for Design

With a passion for cars and transforming them, it’s no wonder Colton Miles is such an integral member of the UC Davis Formula Racing team. He helps drive the team forward, and with these experiences, feels even more confident about a career in mechanical engineering.

Academic Experiences

Her Campus: Hey Colton! Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today. To start off, tell me about your major, year, and future career plans.

Colton Miles: Thanks for having me! I’m a 2nd year mechanical engineering major, and I’m hoping to go into automotive research and development. This would entail designing new cars and thinking up new technology.

HC: Formula Racing is a very big part of your life. What is your role in Formula, and can you explain what Formula Racing is?

CM: I’m currently the operations manager for the Formula Racing team. Formula Racing is a student-run engineering team that designs and builds a high-performance electric racing vehicle every year, and competes in the international racing event. This year, the competition will be held in Nebraska.

HC: Very cool. How did you become interested in cars, and Formula Racing specifically?

CM: I’ve always loved cars; I don’t know why, but that’s just always been one of the things that I’ve loved. I’ve always been able to name all the cars on the road and know everything about them. I got into Formula because it sounded interesting to me, and so I joined it Freshman year. I started getting involved on the management end because I wasn’t able to do a whole lot on the engineering end. At the time, I basically had no engineering experience. I still do a lot in operations and management, but now I’m also more involved in engineering.

HC: What would you like the Formula team to accomplish this year ?

CM: *Laughs* To have a working car before the end of the school year, so we can test it before heading off to competition. Last year, we attempted to finish building it in the parking lot! That didn’t work quite as well, so this year we have to test it here, and fix what we can.

HC: Are you thinking of moving up in the team?

CM: Yes, my hopes are to move up to team manager or an equivalent job in the future. I work alongside the current manager a lot, so it’d be a natural transition. I also want whatever is best for the team.

HC: Would you say that Formula has influenced your career plans?

CM: Oh yes, definitely. I was thinking of double majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering, which would’ve been cool, but working on the team has really made me love mechanical engineering that much more. Formula Racing is also one of the best ways to get a job; I know many people who have actually gotten jobs through the team.

Fun Questions!

Favorite movie?

UP

Favorite TV show?

Fringe

Turn on?

Bright, energetic eyes.

Turn off?

Being self-absorbed

Favorite book?

All of the Harry Potter Books, or the Great Gatsby

Favorite food?

Mashed Potatoes

Dream date?

Go-kart racing, dinner, and then a drive-in movie theatre.

Other hobbies?

Photography

Check out the UC Davis Formula Racing team’s website and Facebook page!

Melissa is currently an English major at the University of California, Davis and, in addition to this, she is pursuing a minor in Economics. Melissa currently has a part-time job on campus in addition to writing for hercampus.com. You can follow her on instagram at melissa_hosking
Megan Taylor Hartenstein is an English major and Women's Studies minor at the University of California, Davis. Give her something to write with, and she'll create a masterpiece. While she loves journalism and writing short stories, her dream is to become a television or film writer. Megan is a proud feminist, and loves to incorporate feminist principles in everything she writes.