At Gates, we're not only driven by innovation in engineering, but also by the potential we see in young minds. Our commitment to mentorship plays an important role in shaping the future of the industry. Whether it’s through hands-on guidance, real-world experience, or fostering a community of learning, our engineers are helping the next generation of STEM leaders. Here’s how some of our talented team members have been impacted by mentorship, and how they give back in our community.
FOSTERING FUTURE ENGINEERS
Connections
Stories of mentorship and how it shapes the future of engineering at Gates and in the industry.
Duane Junker, a Gates Lead Systems Engineer based in Denver, CO, has been mentoring students involved in FIRST Robotics – a competition that is part of a global non-profit organization with a focus on STEM education for young people -- across the country for several years.
Junker, who has worked at Gates for 35 years, believes in the importance of fostering relationships with younger generations who will someday be interested in becoming engineers and solving the very problems that Gates strive to solve.
In his years of mentoring students who compete in robotics competitions, he’s provided pro-bono engineering consultations and Gates products for students to use on their robotic designs. A few years ago, some of those high school students in Arizona even went on to compete on the national stage.
Though Junker does not keep in touch with all the students he’s mentored over the years, his mentorship undoubtedly has an impact on the students’ learning experience, and how they envision what’s possible in their future.
MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION
Elizabeth Amici, a Senior Development Engineer at Gates, didn’t necessarily dream of becoming an engineer. It was just part of her daily life, as a child of electrical engineer parents who worked in the automotive industry in Michigan. Even as Amici explored other interests – she was set on going to culinary school for a while – her family made sure to let her know engineering was always an option.
Her most dedicated mentor was her mother, who started a FIRST Lego club at Amici’s middle school. The club members consisted of only Amici and her brother at first – but over the course of two years, eight other students came on board. Why was competing with other middle schoolers in the Lego League such an integral part of her journey to becoming an engineer exactly? It taught her to solve complex problems and communicate clearly, she said.
By the time Amici started college to study mechanical engineering, she felt prepared to take on the challenges of this discipline. “The judges [from Lego competitions] were really good about giving feedback. But my mom was my number one coach.”
FROM LEGO LEAGUE TO GATES
For Lauren Nelson, a Gates Product Development Engineer and an alumnus of FIRST Robotics, it was a fourth-grade teacher who introduced her to engineering. The teacher was a mechanical engineer before pivoting into teaching – and this inspired Nelson to study mechanical engineering herself. Nelson, who joined Gates through a rotational program in 2021, said that mentorship has been a big part of her life. And she’s paying it forward whenever she can.
Since joining Gates, she has mentored several students across age groups, often all at once. Some of Nelson’s mentee include current Gates rotational engineers, a mechanical engineering major at the University of Denver, as well as several middle and high school students involved in the Girls Inc. nonprofit.
“It’s really easy to fit mentorship into your daily life without thinking about it,” she said.
MAKING TIME FOR MENTORSHIP
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“The judges [from Lego competitions]
were really good about giving feedback. But my mom was my number one coach.”
- elizabeth amici
"
“It’s really easy to fit mentorship into
your daily life without thinking about it.”
- Lauren nelson
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