Mica and Debby are both team members at Toyota Motor North America Research & Development. Mica is an engineer in the Materials Engineering Department and is a returning Rebelle, and Debby is an executive program manger in the Advanced Product Planning Office and is a rookie Rebelle. They are grateful to be competitors in the 10th edition of Rebelle Rally with the sponsorship of Toyota R&D, and they’re excited to embark on this journey together as a team!
Toyota Motor North America R&D
I work in battery design and development for future Toyota BEVs!
Ypsilanti, MI
University of Florida, Materials Science & Engineering
I always want to Rebelle!~
2024
I think the Rally, and rally prep, can be the most unflattering mirror. You're going up against your own mistakes, habits, and weaknesses. It's so important to be thoughtful, reflect, and practice your worst skills. More than anything, it's critical to show up for the next opportunity to improve with a calm mindset. KaiZEN!
For me, driving is synonymous with exploration and independence. My family started handing me the keys to get myself around Miami when I was very young. I remember their reaction to my rule-abiding concerns, "shouldn't be a problem if you don't get pulled over!" (I didn't, thank goodness). On the day I got my learner's permit, I drove a fully packed 4Runner on I-75 to a holiday vacation. Their belief in my capability laid the foundation for my own confidence.
Executive Program Manager at Toyota Research & Development. I enjoy my job because it allows me to help drive the strategy and development of both near term and future mobility projects.
Onsted, Michigan
University of Michigan, Mechanical Engineering
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my spouse at our lake house in the Irish Hills of Michigan...a day at the lake is a guaranteed good day!
As a child, my younger sister and I were always impatient with my older sister taking SO LONG to exit the single sliding door of our Pontiac Trans Sport minivan and we would complain, "why isn't there a sliding door on the other side, too?" Then our next minivan did have a 2nd sliding door, and I realized that there were people out there that could change vehicles for the better, which started my journey into wanting to become an automotive engineer.
