Reinventing the STEAM engine; Winners Circle Project is inspiring new leaders

Sometimes we see the change, and sometimes we are the change; these are words that come to mind when delving into the inner-workings of the Winners Circle Project, a non profit organization designed to inspire youth through STEAM programs embedded in the exciting world of car racing. 

Throughout the course of the school year, high school students, this year from the Candor, Owego Apalachin, Watkins Glen and Waverly Central School Districts, build a Factory Five vehicle from the asphalt up, learning through a project based curriculum. This work is combined with an introduction into the marketing, journalism, video production, and the public relations involved in the process. 

The journey for the students will be highlighted on Friday, Sept. 30, at Stateline Auto Auction in Waverly, N.Y., where a “Factory Five” Cobra car will be available for Absolute Sale through the Winners Circle Project. The auction will be broadcasting via Instagram starting at 9:15 a.m. 

Last year’s build from Waverly took the top dollar at auction among the cars sold. You can visit www.statelineauto.com or www.winners-circle.org to learn more.

Students neared the finish line in September when they took their cars to the streets in Watkins Glen, N.Y. for the Annual Mamba Championship, held the weekend of Sept. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International.

According to Pius Kayiira, founder of the Winners Circle Project, the main event for students on Sept. 9 was a packed house, with young participants arriving from four surrounding school districts: Candor, which was last year’s champion, Waverly, Owego, and Watkins Glen, who is new to the program this year. 

Students from Alfred State help to inspect the vehicle for safety and overall aesthetics. The competition was scored by four categories, overall build quality, car performance, and marketing and advertising, each worth 25%. 

Each category was judged by experts in their own field to include PR specialist Ashley Van Dyke, CEO of AVP Motorsports; Pam Shatraw, chief editor for SpeedTour magazine; and Andrew Smith, director of Alfred State’s Motorsports Department were a few of those experts on-hand. 

Students were able to tour the TransAM paddock and tech stations, where question and answer sessions were offered, giving students an opportunity to engage with the race teams. 

The weekend concluded on Sunday afternoon when Chris Dyson earned enough points to win back-to-back series championships. 

For the students, this year’s champion build was from Waverly School District. The group was presented with the “Mamba Award,” soon to be named the “Michael Spencer Award,” at the conclusion of qualifications and testing. 

Michaela Spencer, from Waverly, is one of those inspired students who forged ahead with her education, taking on the build challenge as a student pursuing her dreams. 

Her father, Michael Spencer, is highlighted in an upcoming release of “From Zero to a Hundred,” a film by Matteo Banfo based on the journey for students involved in the program. “The Finish Line Is Just The Beginning,” is the film’s subtitle that defines the program.

Featured in the upcoming film is WCPs Pius Kayiira, student Michaela Spencer, CJ Riker, Eric Knolls, Fred Mills, Sage Garrison, Alivia Barrett, and Kaden Gonzalez, along with Michael Spencer as an inspirational role model, supporting Michaela’s efforts and offering up his own time to help with the build.

‘Michael Spencer is the ultimate example of resilience. He came back from five heart attacks,” said Kayiira, adding, “He never missed a Winners Circle Project event. Worked for 35 years at a management position at a fast food restaurant. Even after he suffered his last heart attack called the widowmaker, he always kept his family strong and throughout that time he never complained. Mike was able to send his children to college, and his daughter won an award from the Senator for being a kind person.”

“It honors me to honor him,” said Kayiira.

Because of this honor and admiration, and much to the surprise of Michael Spencer, the Winners Circle Project Award, from this day forward, will be named the “Michael Spencer Award.”

The original award name, “The Mamba,” was a name coined by Kayiira and inspired by Kobe Bryant. 

Kobe inspired me because of his mentality and approach to life. The winning mindset. Dedication to be the best you could be without limitations. The pursuit of excellence.

As for the movie, From Zero to a Hundred, it is in the final stages of editing this fall and features artwork by Matteo Banfo, videographer, and the journey of the program thus far, in Tioga County and beyond.

According to Kayiira, they started shooting content for a commercial in 2019 and decided to do a film instead.

The film highlights how the program all started, with storylines on how the students worked through the pandemic and continued to coordinate things; it’s a movie where self-empowerment meets leadership head on, teaching students a variety of skills on all spectrums of development, with a finished product that brings in the funding for continued projects. 

“The film shows how these students stepped up to the plate, and the work that they continue to put into their build,” said Kayiira, adding, “We are inspiring the next generation of workers. I think the film will change the way we do education in America; it highlights rural America and the people that live here.”

All in all, Kayiira added, there is about 300 hours of filming, with footage of the students involved as well. To learn more about the film, you can view the trailer at https://youtu.be/NeyvbwF0re0.

As for Kayiira, his journey has gone full circle.

Kayiira met Chris Dyson, TransAm II Champion, when he was ten years old and right after his father, Andrew Kayiira, was assassinated in Uganda. The year was 1987, and Dyson and Kayiira became friends at summer camp. At that time they agreed to work together when they got older, and that mission was accomplished when Dyson won big at the Glen and Kayiira claimed victory as well, holding the championship for his non-profit racing organization on the same weekend.

Kayiira’s father was the Minister of Energy and Special Finance in Uganda at one time, and was in political exile. 

“He was trying to bring democracy to Uganda,” said Kayiira about his father, and the assassination. 

He added, “His shadow was huge; he was larger than life. My grandmother’s decision to send him to school changed the trajectory of the entire lives of Uganda as he went on to get his doctrine in criminal justice from the University of Albany. His dissertation on Kondoism went on to be added to the dictionary and used throughout the world.”

Kayiira noted that his father was also a professor at Marist College where he taught criminal justice.

“His dedication for justice and passion to bring democracy to Uganda instilled pride in me and my siblings. It left an impression on me that I carry with me to this day,” Kayiira added.

The Winners Circle Project was born through this inspiration, one to direct change and inspire a generation. Visit www.winners-circle.org to learn more about the project, and to stay updated on the film’s release.