Student Spotlight on Pantelis Anton

Pantelis Anton spent his childhood building with Lego’s and tinkering around the house with his dad. “I think that’s where my interest in engineering began,” said Anton, who is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is the chief engineer for the Baja Buckeyes student projects team.  

In high school, Anton completed Project Lead the Way’s (PLTW) intro to engineering, digital electronics, computer integrated manufacturing and aerospace courses. This course curriculum is created by the non-profit PLTW and used in classrooms to introduce STEM fields to students. This offered Anton the chance to explore engineering and aided him in his choice of major.  

“When I got to college, mechanical engineering seemed like an all-encompassing engineering option. I chose it for that reason, along with the number of opportunities that Ohio State offers,” said Anton.

Anton’s focus on the automotive and powersports aspects of engineering led him to join the Baja Buckeyes team, a student project team which designs and builds an off-road competition vehicle while developing members’ understanding of the automotive and power sports businesses.

“I love being on the team because you get to expand on what you learn in the classroom through hands-on experience and strengthen your leadership skills,” said Anton. “I’m applying what I learn in the classroom to the design and gaining manufacturing experience which will be really beneficial when I go out into the workforce.”

In addition to his role on the Baja Buckeyes team, Anton is also an SRA where he helps ensure the safety of students and staff working in the machine shop and the student projects building at the Center for Automotive Research.

“I answer questions people have about machining and I’ve also had the opportunity to work on various projects,” said Anton. I’m currently working on a new trailer that all the teams can use to travel to competitions.”

“When Pantelis is asked to do a task there is no questioning how it is to be done, he always does it right,” said Max Wright, student projects building supervisor. “He is able undertake a new task and quickly adapt to the needs of the project.”

When asked about his future plans, Anton, who is set to graduate in Spring, 2023, is still weighing his options. “It’s a toss-up between going into the workforce and pursuing grad school. I’d love to work for a company like Honda or Polaris but going to grad school at Ohio State and possibly doing research is appealing as well,” said Anton.

“With a great skill set and well-rounded leadership abilities there is a bright future ahead for Pantelis,” said Wright. “Companies will benefit greatly from his communication and his forward-thinking abilities.”