Alec Staley (back row, second from left) and his Kart 24 teammates at the Purdue Grand Prix. Staley, a first-year motorsports engineering student from Philadelphia, joined the team during his first semester at Purdue University. (Submitted photo)

A passion for cars and engineering, combined with a determination to challenge himself, led Alec Staley to Purdue University.

“I was impressed by the strong engineering programs offered at Purdue, specifically the motorsports engineering program, the only accredited engineering program in motorsports in the country, which fueled my love for cars,” Staley said.

Staley, who came to Purdue from Philadelphia at the start of the 2025-26 academic year, has already found opportunities to pursue his interests both inside and outside the classroom.

He said he knew he wanted to study engineering because he had always enjoyed math and physics. What ultimately drew him to motorsports engineering was the program’s hands-on curriculum and the opportunity to combine his passion for cars with engineering.

Outside the classroom, Staley became involved in the Purdue Motorsports Club and the Purdue Squash Club. Toward the end of his first semester, he was selected to join Kart 24, one of the teams competing in the Purdue Grand Prix.

“Through this experience, I met many great people in my major and learned a tremendous amount, especially since I had never been in a karting environment before,” Staley said.

The squash club also allowed him to continue competing in a sport he had played for years.

“I competed on the junior squash circuit, including national tournaments and the U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships, so the club was a great way to continue playing in a more relaxed environment,” he said.

In addition to academics and student organizations, Staley spent much of his first year training independently for a full-distance Ironman.

“I decided to take on the challenge of completing a full-distance Ironman,” Staley said. “I had completed a marathon the summer before coming to Purdue, so I had a strong running background, but I was completely new to swimming and cycling.”

During his first semester, Staley focused on running and swimming to build endurance and improve his technique. In the second semester, he added cycling to his training schedule, bringing his total training time to about 12 hours each week. He purchased an indoor bike trainer for his dorm room, where he completed his cycling workouts.

As he reflects on his first year at Purdue, Staley encourages future Boilermakers to embrace challenges and believe in themselves.

“Never tell yourself you can’t do something,” he said. “Whether you’re studying for an exam or competing in athletics, whenever you begin to question whether you're capable of achieving your goal, ask yourself, ‘Why not me?’”