From URE to a job at Tesla; why join a student team?

The TU/e has around 50 student teams, each with its own focus: varying from a drone for sustainable transport, using artificial intelligence in healthcare, an electric autonomous racing car, a sustainable, self-sufficient house, and healthcare sensors to electric planes, a solution to the plastic soup, soccer and healthcare robots, solar cars, and hazardous waste recycling. The teams have one thing in common: students from all departments work together on sustainable solutions to real challenges. And it is not uncommon for these student teams to produce a startup. How do (former) student team members look back on their time on their team, and what did they get out of it?

‘A student team is like a playground; you can try lots of things in a safe environment’

It is safe to say Tatum Simons does not like sitting still. She is the CORE's team captain, the Go Green Office's events chief, and used to be active in the SensUs student team too. Sustainability is the green thread that runs through everything she does.

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Tatum Simons
Team CORE

Noud Schoenmakers

Team InMotion

‘Step out of your comfort zone, that's where you meet the coolest challenges’

Noud Schoenmakers was part of team InMotion for three years. He helped with their drive to push electric driving and quick charging. "I think InMotion will always stay part of my life, just like the people involved."

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‘Perseverance; that's what team FAST taught me’

Persevering, not giving up when things do not go as you expected or hoped. That is the biggest lesson Thomas Stroes gained from his time on team FAST. Oh, and, of course, a job.

THIS IS THOMAS' STORY

Thomas Stroes

Team FAST

Sofie van Leeuwen

Team SensUs

It's a gift to surround yourself with ambitious people’

Sofie van Leeuwen excelled at PR in the SensUs student team. In that year, she learned things she never knew about herself, thanks to the space to be creative and use your own initiative.

THIS IS SOFIE'S STORY

‘You get the most out of your studies with a student team’

As team CASA's manager, it is up to Manuel García Hernandez to get the best out of his team, motivate them, and keep them keen.

THIS IS MANUEL'S JOURNEY

Manuel García Hernandez

Team CASA

Robin Soetens

Team Tech United

‘You get to develop yourself, have adventures, and do something useful you'll be proud of later’

Robin Soetens was part of Tech United Eindhoven, TU/e's robot soccer team, for six years. Robin jokes that he spent more time on the team than on his studies. His highlights? Becoming world robot soccer champions for the first time and the full stands at RoboCup when it was held in Eindhoven.

ROBIN'S MEMORIES OF HIS TECH UNITED ADVENTURE

‘An incredibly positive experience for me and, later, my career’

Micha van den Herik has been a man on a mission since 2019 when he joined the FruitPunch AI student team: training more good artificial intelligence engineers. Even during his exchange semester in Finland, he's working as an ambassador to expand FruitPunch's network and spread the AI for Good 'religion'.

THIS IS MICHA'S STORY

Micha van den Herik

FruitPunch AI

Marianna Angelini

Team VIRTUe

‘Being part of VIRTUe totally enriched my student life’

For three years, the Italian Marianna Angelini has been part of the VIRTUe student team. Her efforts, from when the team started, were crowned last month when the team's self-sufficient, sustainable home clinched second prize at Solar Decathlon Europe.

THIS IS MARIANNA'S STORY

‘Being in a student team is frightening similar to working life’

Around 2012, Texas van Leeuwenstein (30) was a repeat offender when it came to student teams. Back then, these were still in their infancy. He co-founded two teams: TU/ecomotive, which developed an electric city car, and team STORM, which traveled around the world in 80 days on a self-built all-electric touring motorcycle.

HOW DID TEXAS COMBINE HIS STUDY WITH TWO STUDENT TEAMS?

Texas van Leeuwenstein

Team STORM

Alex Pap

Team URE

‘I still profit from the network I built at URE’

Alex Pap got a taste for electric vehicles during his years at team University Racing Eindhoven (URE). The network he built up during his board year still comes in handy now that he runs scale-up XYZ Dynamics.

FROM STUDENT TEAM TO START-UP

‘It's amazing how much you learn in a single year on a student team’

Sofie Scheij is a huge fan of applying learned theory in a student team. And of making the impossible possible as part of a team of highly motivated fellow students.