Navy Formula SAE - Building Cars and Character

Did you go watch Brad Pitt in the F1 movie?! Did you know the United States Naval Academy has a Formula team? The Naval Academy Formula SAE Team is a unique capstone project that combines automotive engineering with leadership development.

In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Burnett, a former midshipman turned USNA instructor and officer representative for the Navy Formula SAE team. Kevin shares his journey from the Academy to the Civil Engineer Corps and back again, offering invaluable insights into this exciting program.

What is Formula SAE?

Formula SAE is a collegiate competition where students design, build, and race small-scale formula-style racing cars. While not affiliated with Formula One, it offers a similar thrill and engineering challenge. The Naval Academy's team competes annually against 120 other universities at the Michigan International Speedway.

Why Formula SAE Matters for Midshipmen

Kevin explains how this program offers unparalleled opportunities for engineering students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems. Beyond technical skills, it develops:

Peer leadership abilities
Project management expertise
Communication skills
Resilience in the face of challenges
Key Takeaways from this Episode

• The unique challenges of running a Formula SAE team at a service academy
• How underclassmen can get involved and set themselves up for success
• The importance of humility and proactive learning in leadership development
• Parallels between Formula SAE team dynamics and military leadership

Words of Wisdom for Future Leaders

Kevin leaves us with powerful advice for aspiring service academy students and future military leaders:

"Be humble, be confident, and go. Go on. Almost find adversity. See what your limits are. And guess what? That limit's not going to be permanent. Find the limit, figure out how to fix it, and build and build and build."

Whether you're a gear head, an aspiring naval officer, or simply curious about unique educational experiences, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into a program that's shaping the next generation of military engineers and leaders.
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The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.

Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.

He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a residential real estate company that specializes in serving the United States Naval Academy community with nationwide consulting and connection.

We are here to be your guide through the USNA experience.

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