Meet the Executives
Stefano
I am a 2nd year Mechanical Engineering student at BCIT. I am an international student from Italy and motor racing has been my passion since I was a kid. My job as the president of the team is to make sure that everyone has what they require to achieve their full potential and to make sure that the team keeps going full throttle towards our goals.
Sawyer Laspa
I am a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student at BCIT. I am interested in almost everything, but my role in the team is overseeing the design and engineering of the car. I collaborate with the designers and manufacturing members to ensure that our designs are feasible to manufacture, achieve the team objectives, and incorporate best practice in engineering. I am an avid outdoors enthusiast, and love hiking and camping.
Thompson Wong
I am a 4th year mechanical engineering student in charge of designing the pedal box. To learn the car, I started the design stage with a small team where we learned to work collaboratively to overcome a wide variety of obstacles. I always find opportunities to challenge myself and collaborate with different designers. The best thing about designing is connecting with people and learning from each other since no design process is purely one way.
Mathew Wiebe
I am a 3rd year Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering student at BCIT. This year, I have taken on the design, manufacturing, and assembly of the front suspension and steering assembly for the new Mk4 car. I lead a small team of designers and manufacturers to ensure every component is created using the proper engineering method. I am excited to see my team, and all the other subsystem teams, hard work come to fruition, in the form of a fully functional dune-buggy. In my limited free time away from schoolwork and BCIT racing, I enjoy building rockets, crashing said rockets, and working on my own cars.
Kamal Panfer
Being a 4th-year Mechanical Engineering student, it’s a lot of work to commit time to the busy BCIT Racing club. Still, I am up for the challenge and committed to securing enough funds and designing the brake system for our team. I've been a car enthusiast ever since I started working as a mechanic where I take apart cars, see how they operate, and fix them right up. Watching our systems on the BAJA car work together to get a driving, fully functional machine has been an incredible opportunity, and yet there remains much to improve on. I'll be working hard this year to get our team to the competition and build the best car from BCIT yet!
Regina Shakhnazaryan
I am currently enrolled in my second year of schooling, in the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program – Manufacturing Option, at BCIT. I love learning new things and taking on challenging projects. Outside of school I enjoy an active lifestyle such as rock climbing, hiking, and camping. I joined BCIT BAJA team because I found this club to be a great chance to expand my knowledge about the automotive design industry, challenge myself and apply my academic knowledge to a real-life project. Besides that, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, grow professionally and learn from more experienced and knowledgeable students!
Nick Sharma
I am currently a second year in BCIT’s Mechanical Engineering program, in the Manufacturing Diploma. The reason I joined the BCIT BAJA Club was because the team members were very inviting, and this club gives me an opportunity to work with friendly people and make a difference doing so. I have automotive experience and have some experience using machines used in the manufacturing industry. Aside from school, I like exploring, eating, and just talking to people! I am overly excited for this year, and the years I will contribute and share my experiences with others!
Mac Wong
I am currently a 1st year mechanical engineering student with BCIT after having completed a business degree from SFU. I returned to school because despite being content with business, I had a passion for engineering that I just had to figure out before starting a career. I came here to do cool things and create something I would be proud of, and BCIT BAJA allows me to do exactly that. Through my roles as a Project Manager and Machinist, I help BAJA bridge the gap between the business aspect and engineering teams, allowing them to focus on doing what they do best: designing a car.