‘You'll have a bigger network at the end of your student team year’

Why did you join team Blue Jay?

“At the end of my first year of master's, I was trying to find experiences that use non-technical skills. I wanted a place that required project management, pitching and presenting, and contact with companies. Student teams are these kinds of places, and after considering which team would be the best fit for me, I decided on Blue Jay. In September, I put my studies on hold for a year to focus on the team full-time.”

What are your duties within the team?

“Every year, Team Blue Jay looked for social problems that self-flying drones can solve. I started as a project manager, where I made short- and long-term plans, met with engineers about progress and problems, and kept the project's vision in line.

After several months, we needed more help liaising with our partner and sponsor companies. So, I became the external relations manager and, among other things, kept companies informed of our work and arranged sponsored components, knowledge, or money for the team.

In March 2022,  Blue Jay and Team Syfly merged to form Aero Team Eindhoven. We also formed a new board with new tasks. After the merger, I continued as PR manager and am responsible for the communication that promotes the team to the outside world. Think, social media, promotional campaigns, and organizing events.”

What is the new team's goal?

“Aero Team Eindhoven wants electric flying to be used more widely. Currently, lots of goods are transported by truck or plane. People don't yet choose electric flying because these crafts often don't have a long enough range. Our goal is to develop drones that can transport goods without a pilot while automatically changing out its battery when it's almost empty. If you apply this technology widely, you encourage the use of electric transportation and become less dependent on fossil fuels.”

What did you learn from your time on the team?

“I'm still on the team, but, so far, I've learned how to conduct meetings much more effectively - and you have many of those with a large team, especially in the beginning. Also, all the presentations and workshops have taught me how to pitch and talk better in front of large groups.”

What was a personal highlight?

“The new team's launching event! Organizing it took a lot of work that I'd never done or thought about before.”

Were there disappointments too?

“There are many different opinions in a large team, which can quickly lead to discussions. At the start of the year, we wondered what Blue Jay was going to do. It was hard to find the perfect project for the team because every idea had something that was too minor or impossibly challenging for a subset of the team.”

Student teams use Challenge-based Learning, where multidisciplinary teams work on real-world challenges. What was that like for you?

“Having people with different skills on one team makes it immediately apparent that you can gain far more ground as an independent team. Aero is a very diverse team, and you notice that right away in how people tackle problems that arise. Sub-teams within Aero for technical or non-technical tasks are also often multidisciplinary, which means that a problem is considered from angles you wouldn't think of yourself.”

What advice would you give students who are hesitant about joining a student team?

“Student teams are perfect for students who want to do more with their studies or just want experience with soft- or management skills. Besides the experience you gain doing the work and attending workshops, it also looks good on your CV. Plus, you always end your year with a much larger network.”