NASCAR driver Danica Patrick to headline PBSC STEAM luncheon
American auto racing driver and spokeswoman Danica Patrick will be the keynote speaker at the Palm Beach State College Foundation’s 2016 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) luncheon presented by Bank of America.
The affair will take place at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts’ Cohen Pavilion in West Palm Beach. Individual tickets are $165; a table of 10 is $1,600.
“We are thrilled to welcome Danica to Palm Beach State College,” said President Ava L. Parker. “She is a great example of a woman who has achieved success in a male-dominated, STEM field. Automotive and transportation industries offer opportunities for both men and women to apply STEM education to highly skilled jobs while earning a high salary. Patrick’s determination is inspiring, and we look forward to learning more about her journey.”
At the STEAM event, Patrick plans to discuss her exploration of these fields and share her story to encourage female empowerment in male-dominated industries. Dan Cane, CEO & co-founder of Modernizing Medicine, will moderate the conversation.
Patrick burst onto the scene in 2005 when she stunned the world by leading 19 laps and finishing fourth in her first Indianapolis 500, becoming the first woman to lead laps and score a top-five finish in the historic race.
One week later, she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first Indy car driver to be featured in 20 years. In 2009, Patrick took a third place finish at the Indianapolis 500, the highest finish ever by a woman.
In 2013, she would make history again as she became the first female NASCAR driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, turning in the fastest qualifying lap since 1990—qualifying for the Daytona 500. In Daytona, she placed eighth, the highest finish for a woman in the Daytona 500.
The luncheon’s presenting sponsor is Bank of America. Other top sponsors are Balfour Beatty, FPL, Modernizing Medicine, Palm Beach Broadcasting, Tenet Florida Physician Services, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, The Palm Beach Post and WXEL.
To learn more about opportunities to support the event, click here or call 561-868-3450.
In 2016, the Foundation will enter its fourth year in its multi-year initiative to impact the projected shortage of local, skilled professionals in the STEAM fields. Its goals are to increase student scholarships, business partnerships, internships and other academic program enhancements to prepare more graduates for these high-wage, high-demand positions.
