The ‘Formula’ to college recruitment

Choosing a college is one of the biggest decisions a teenager will face, and it’s not an easy one.

Tanner Overby was an 18-year-old senior at Brookings High School in September 2025. He knew he wanted to study engineering. Where? He didn’t know, but he was toying with getting out of the town where he had lived his entire life. Today, Overby, 19, is still in Brookings and attending South Dakota State University.

He said he couldn’t be happier. 

What changed his outlook? That answer is clear. It was an outgoing student leader, a Formula race car and an opportunity work on his favorite race car with a student club. 

Overby recalls that his mom saw a Facebook post that promoted SDSU Day at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. What attracted Overby was the fact that SDSU would have its student-built Formula car there along with students from the Formula club.

He had been following the international Formula 1 racing circuit for about three years and hopes to one day work in that field. 

The Formula SAE race cars built by university are smaller, more compact and have less engine power. However, the contest sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers still incorporates the principles of aerodynamics and speed that drive the multimillion Formula 1 racing circuit.

Visit shifts Overby’s thinking

Overby spent about a half-hou talking with mechanical engineering major Kaden MacPherson at SDSU Day at the Washington Pavilion. Overby recalled, “He was really outgoing and wanted to get to know me. I started with questions about SDSU and campus life in general. I wasn’t necessarily all about Formula.”

Being from Brookings and having previously visited the campus, Overby was fairly familiar with the school, but he wanted to get an insider’s view.

“After leaving the Pavilion, something went through my head that I would rather go to SDSU. My mom talked to (Dean Sanjeev) Kumar a little bit. I got to meet him. It was great to get to know these people before college,” Overby said.

Since coming to SDSU, the freshman has jumped right into the Formula club. “I went to the orientation meeting, and Kaden recognized me. ‘There’s the Washington Pavilion kid.’ Getting to know the people on the club has been really fun.”

Overby immediately involved in club

MacPherson, the club’s vice president and drive-train lead, said the club has 30 members, and its objective is to build a car for the Formula SAE championship May 12-15 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. SAE limits the field to 120 teams, each of whom pay a $3,100 entry fee.

However, community outreach also is a big facet of the Formula club. The car was in the Hobo Day parade, Downtown at Sundown and other venues as well as, of course, SDSU Day at the Washington Pavilion.

MacPherson recalls that event a year ago. 

“He became interested in the car and spent a significant amount of time talking with members of our team about the car, the team, engineering at SDSU and the hands-on opportunities available to students.

“After the event, we didn't think much more about the interaction. However, this fall, Tanner showed up at our opening Formula SAE event and told us that the reason he ultimately chose SDSU was because of the Formula SAE team and the interaction he had with us at the Washington Pavilion.

“Since arriving at SDSU, Tanner has become one of our most consistently involved freshmen. He has attended our freshman events, regular team meetings and has already participated in team outreach activities. He was also one of only two freshmen who traveled with us to the NASCAR speedway to represent SDSU and the Formula SAE program.”

Witnessing a NASCAR race

The club took 16 members to the Kansa Speedway Sept. 27 to observe NASCAR and participate in a noncompetitive car show outside of the speedway. SDSU was one of three schools to have their Formula SAE race car on display.

Thanks to a 2024 SDSU graduate who works at the speedway, the club was also able to walk through the pit lane before the race, Overby said. “It was a very cool experience.”

On campus, Overby, also a mechanical engineering major, has been working alongside MacPherson on the engine side of the team. “We’re mainly working on last year’s car for showcases at this point,” Overby said. Work on the 2027 entry will start later this semester.

He said he didn’t have mechanical experience before joining the club. “I’m learning from Kaden and others how they operate on the car. Every day I’m learning something new. That is one of the things I enjoy about the club.”

Building a car, building connections

The club meets three evenings a week in the production lab of Chicoine Architecture, Mathematics and Engineering Hall. 

MacPherson remarked, “A conversation around a Formula SAE car at an event may seem like a small interaction at the time, but in Tanner's case, it gave him an opportunity to see what engineering at SDSU could look like outside of the classroom and ultimately played a role in his decision to attend SDSU

“We are excited to continue using Formula SAE as a way to represent SDSU, engage prospective students and show high school students the hands-on engineering opportunities available here.”