From Small Town to Young Industry Leader: Amy’s Full-Circle STEM Journey

“It’s all worth it. What you’re doing right now—you will get there.” 

Those were the words Amy MacDonald shared with a group of university students at the SAE Foundation Annual Celebration in Detroit. Although she was there to accept the Young Industry Leader Award, Amy’s focus wasn’t on herself it was on helping others. 

And for good reason: Amy knows firsthand the power of mentoring, the importance of access, and the life-changing impact of early STEM opportunities. Her story is also a powerful reminder of what your support makes possible. 

Amy’s STEM journey, and first exposure to the SAE A World In Motion® (AWIM®) program, started at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School in Ortonville, Michigan—a small town of just of 1,300 people. She still remembers it vividly.  

There was a station where students could build an AWIM rocket. There was an area to draw a humanoid robot. “Beep boop,” Amy joked. There was even a fun ice breaker where industry volunteers asked students to raise their hands if they liked sports, or going on vacation, or playing with barbies. “Guess what? Engineers and scientists like all of those things too,” the volunteers responded. The experience stuck with her. 

So much so, that years later as an undergrad engineering student at Kettering University, she launched a STEM outreach camp for middle school girls. When they initially came up short for funding the event, Amy applied for and won a grant. The camp was such a success, it was recognized at the Society of Women Engineers National Convention for its community impact. One of Amy’s favorite memories was a conversation with a student that quickly pivoted from talking about AP math to “Do you want to hear my flute?” A constant reminder that STEM needs creatives just as much as students that like to tinker. 

Amy’s career has since taken off. She’s become the youngest board member in the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation’s history, helped raise over $500,000 in scholarships for 41 young women with automotive career aspirations, and even earned a U.S. patent. But she still finds time to return to Kettering University every year to attend the Speed Networking event where she gets to meet with and mentor high school girls because she remembers what it felt like to be in their shoes. 

By the time Amy left the stage after accepting her award, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Even her long-time mentor, known for being serious and composed, might have shed a tear or two.

And so much of that moment traces back to an early spark at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School. Because of your support, students from small towns like Ortonville get the chance to see what’s possible. And some, like Amy, come back to pay it forward again and again. 

Thank you for making moments like this possible.