Fisk University Triple Major Dreams of being NASCAR Mechanical Engineer

Michel Warren, a senior at Fisk University, a UNCF-member institution, received the Foot Locker Foundation Scholarship from UNCF for the 2023-2024 school year. He said the scholarship “immediately alleviated my financial stress, so that I could solely focus on passing my courses.”

Foot Locker Foundation, Inc., partnered with UNCF to fund this scholarship program for students attending a UNCF-member institution. The foundation works to improve upward mobility and build a more equitable and inclusive future through education, economic development and community empowerment.

“The scholarship impacted my education by providing me with the motivation to keep pursuing my dreams of a better life while earning a college degree,” Warren shared. It will enable him to graduate from college debt-free. After applying for hundreds of scholarships through UNCF and other organizations, Warren’s hard work paid off. He received more than $70,000 in scholarships to help offset the costs of his education.

Warren was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. He shared that “it hasn’t prevented me from obtaining my dreams of a college degree.” On the contrary, he is a triple major in mathematics, physics and data science.

He plans to pursue a doctorate degree in physics through Fisk University’s graduate program and hopes to join the Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Program for STEM majors, which provides full funding for a master’s degree in physics, biology or chemistry at Fisk and access to mentors and research experience.

Warren knows exactly where he wants to be in life. “My dream career is to work in motorsports as a mechanical engineer for a racing team like the 23XI Racing Team in NASCAR or the Arrow McLaren Racing Team in INDYCAR,” he said.

The trade is in his blood. “I am passionate about mechanical engineering because of my family’s background in maintaining vehicles,” Warren shared. “My grandmother worked for the U.S. Air Force as a mechanic, working on fighter jets and military vehicles. My mother and father both worked as auto shop mechanics maintaining diesel trucks.”

This early exposure inspired Warren in his studies and his long-term career goals. “Pursuing mechanical engineering would grant me the opportunity to help our transportation sector by fixing and modifying how vehicles are made to protect the environment from harmful carbon emissions and increase the safety of drivers and passengers,” Warren said.

Fisk University’s proximity to home and the graduate school path to obtain a doctorate degree in physics drew Warren to the school. After he completed an associate’s degree in physics from Nashville State Community College in the summer of 2023, he transferred to Fisk University. “It was the only school that allowed me to keep all of my transfer credit hours,” Warren explained. “The family atmosphere between the instructors and students allowed me to feel comfortable and safe. I’m honored to be a Fiskite, and I hope to leave a positive impact on others.”

Outside of academics, Warren has volunteered for the Fisk jazz radio station, Jazzy 88 WFSK. “My father used to listen to the Fisk jazz radio station all the time before he passed away,” Warren said. “It was wonderful being able to see how the station operates and hearing the music reminded me of my father.”

Warren’s mother graduated from college in 2009, and “seeing her put in the hard work to obtain her college degree encouraged me to pursue a college education for myself,” Warren shared. “Being a second-generation college student is a wonderful honor, and hopefully I can motivate other people to obtain a college degree just like my mother did with me.”

Warren is expected to graduate in May 2025.

“Thank you again to the Foot Locker Foundation and UNCF for seeing the potential inside of me to be great,” Warren shared. “I will continue to make you proud.”

UNCF is proud of our students and alumni who have received scholarships that help them continue their education and graduate. These scholarships are invaluable to students, and UNCF is accepting donations to support students like Michel Warren in their academic endeavors. Read about Michel’s journey and donate today.