The Journey
To My Success

Panayiota Efstathiou: "Success is exceeding the limits and achieving your goals"

Since my childhood years, I’ve had a strong interest in cars that soon developed into a passion.

It all started when I was watching rally races: Formula 1 and MotoGP. It was exciting for me to observe the different car models and read about the unique features of each engine and gearbox! I made sure I went to car shows and bought car magazines. I wanted to be aware of all the new models. I was asking and learning on my own about the car machines.

My godfather is an engineer and I always liked to hear him talk about how he fixes cars. However, neither he nor anyone else pushed me into this industry. My parents supported my decision and are always very supportive of what I do.

When I made the decision to focus on automotive engineering, I had some doubts because the industry is considered "male-dominated". But from an early age I do things that are considered more "masculine", such as martial arts, so, it wasn’t anything new to me. Nor did it happen during my studies since my teachers and classmates don’t treat me differently. They treat me like they would treat anyone else.

Automotive engineering is an industry dominated by men and in the garage, customers were perplexed by my presence!

In the summer I was working in a garage and I was given some funny looks. As I mentioned above, it is an industry dominated by men and in the garage, customers were perplexed by my presence! They were curious to know how I chose this profession and they asked me various questions. Most were very kind and supportive with the exception of a gentleman who felt that women have no place in this field!

To the girls who want to pursue a career in the field of car engineering, I would say 'go for it'!

After I finish my studies, I would like to work in a garage to learn the practical part of my job. Ideally, however, I would like to focus on old-school car restoration or specialise in racing cars while continuing my studies in motorsport engineering. Even better to deal with the machines themselves, not so much with their design as with their development: to calculate the thermal cycle of a machine, the heat transmitted, etc.

To the girls who want to pursue a career in the field of car engineering, I would say "go for it!" I don’t believe in male- or female-dominated industries. I would also tell them not to listen to anyone and follow their dreams. After all, for me, this is success: overcoming the limits and achieving your goals.