Shaun Yamamoto

Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Houston, Texas

Shaun Yamamoto's wheels are always turning. Whether he's serving as the treasurer for the Model Railroad Club, the social media coordinator for the mountain biking club, or studying abroad in Kanazawa, Japan, Yamamoto is always ready to race to his next big idea. He's a member of the Rose-Hulman cross country and track teams and chronicles his adventures as a Rose student in his role as a YouTube creator for the social media team.

Yamamoto and his business partner, Adam Jirovec, pitched their business idea for an electric scooter-bike hybrid during the annual Sawmill Society weekend before a panel of potential investors. They received $6,000 of funding to launch their startup over the summer. 

"My goal has always been to try to start my own company," Yamamoto said. "Over the summer, I learned many valuable skills about what goes into running your own company." 

The community of Noblitt Scholars has also helped Yamamoto keep moving forward.

"The Noblitt Scholars program has allowed me to grow as a leader while pursuing my other goals at Rose-Hulman," Yamamoto said. "I had the opportunity to help teach multiple computer coding classes for elementary school children and to teach an automotive class for local Girl Scouts. These teaching opportunities have allowed me to grow as a leader and inspire a new generation."

"By providing me with a network of people and support, being in the program has made achieving my dreams easier," Yamamoto says.

Yamamoto's on the road to success, with his career dreams rolling before him. He will continue zooming toward entrepreneurial innovation as a Research & Development intern at Toyota later this year.