The bike Exchange is getting to be a world-class organization, attracting folks from far and wide. In far-off India in the city of Kolkata, Nilay M was born. Little did he know at the time that his family would move halfway around the world and he would find himself in Palo Alto California, but since the 7th grade, this has been his home.
Nilay currently attends Gunn High School. His favorite subject is automotive technology, where he has been engaged in real hands-on learning. His class acquired a Mazda RX7 race car with a blown engine and somehow managed to shoehorn a Ford Mustang 4-liter v8 engine into it and make it work. Amazing!
Nilay will be a senior in the fall and has already taken most of his college prep classes. He will finish up the rest and continue to get training in automotive tech. He wants to go to college somewhere in California so he can continue to ride his bike in the hills and valleys of our beautiful state. He hasn’t decided on a major yet but says whatever career he takes up will be hands-on.
He is becoming a frequent volunteer at our workdays and is eager to learn more about the intricacies of bicycle mechanics. Today, I showed him how to re-grease and adjust wheel bearings. One more skill to add to his resume. Recently he bought a Specialized Roubaix carbon-fiber road bike from the Bike Exchange and is doing lots of riding in the local hills. One day he hopes to do some racing.
Way to go Nilay!
Learn more about the superstars who keep SVBE rolling through our previous featured volunteer spotlights!