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An extra year in Formula One
Aarabhi Krishnakumar took one more year away from class and found the hands-on engineering work she wanted.
Aarabhi Krishnakumar beside a Formula One racecar during her Alpine internship.Photo: Jason Bridge, Transmission Build Leader, Alpine
The decision
Take the year that changes the question
Aarabhi Krishnakumar had already completed two internships when an interview with BWT Alpine offered a different kind of opportunity: a full year in Oxford. Graduation could wait; the chance to work around a Formula One build could not.
The decision was not simply about prestige. She wanted experience, exposure and a closer view of how ambitious things get made.
An extra year can be a compass when experience reveals the kind of work you want to stand beside.
The Alumni Digest read
The work
Learn where design meets the floor
At Alpine, Krishnakumar worked between design and build teams, improving drawings and helping the overall build move forward. Seeing both perspectives clarified what she liked: practical manufacturing, real parts and conversations that happen away from a screen.
Earlier roles at Bombardier, Lockheed Martin and Canada Post made the contrast sharper. Internships gave her a map of interests rather than a single job title.
The next move
Use experience as evidence
A part-time role with the Canadian Space Agency and the Alpine experience helped her land a process engineering job at Tesla Toronto. The F1 work stood out because it showed how she worked, not just what she studied.
For students and alumni, the takeaway is to treat internships as experiments. Each one can tell you what kind of room, pace and problem you want next.
Source reporting
From aerospace to F1 racing: U of T grad leans into internships to land engineering job
Original summary by Alumni Digest, based on public source reporting. This independent publication is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Toronto. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.
