TORRANCE, Calif. — As presenting sponsor of the Rose Parade® for the 12th consecutive year, Honda will inspire young people to follow their dreams with its “Believe and Achieve!” float. With four Honda women associates aboard, the float will celebrate science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) education by depicting a young girl whose dreams have taken flight with a rocket pack she designed and built through her own efforts, ingenuity and passion.
Honda believes in encouraging the dreams of young people and creating opportunities for them to succeed. Honda has made STEAM education and career readiness top priorities so that young people – like the aspiring engineer depicted on the float – can fulfill their dreams and reach their own life’s potential.
With its North American regional headquarters in Torrance, Honda is the largest automaker in Southern California. The company employs talented engineers at its manufacturing and research and development facilities in America – including three R&D facilties in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Honda Float Celebrates Women in STEAM Careers
Honda’s “Believe and Achieve!” float also features four Honda associates who embody The Power of Dreams and are currently working in STEAM-related fields. The Honda float riders are Sue Bai, Nicole Harvel, Melanie Morimoto and Yolanda Pate, who work at Honda locations in Michigan, South Carolina, California and Alabama, respectively, where they focus on advanced vehicle safety research, vehicle manufacturing and product quality.
- Sue Bai is a chief engineer and division director at Honda Research Institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her team is responsible for developing advanced safety technologies to achieve Honda’s vision for zero fatalities from collisions. “I will be proud to ride the Honda float as it is a wonderful recognition of my entire team, as well as the many women engineers at Honda,” said Bai.
- Nicole Harvel is an engineering coordinator and lead material engineer of the Material Analysis Lab at Honda’s manufacturing plant in Timmonsville, South Carolina. She manages investigations into market and manufacturing issues as well as new model projects. “The best careers are when you get to follow your passion. My advice to the next generation of engineers is to take your passions and try to intersect them with STEAM,” said Harvel.
- Melanie Morimoto is a senior fabricator at American Honda in Torrance, California, where she works with the Model Development department’s designers to bring their concepts to life. “Math isn’t something to be afraid of—it’s a tool,” she said. “Whether it’s playing rhythm to a song, doubling a cupcake recipe or figuring out how much fabric to order, we use math. Whether you learn it in school or out in the real world, it’s going to help you in life.”
- Yolanda Pate is the quality division lead for Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, Alabama, where she is responsible for all quality operations including vehicle quality and product engineering. “I appreciate that STEAM education will be the focal point of Honda’s float,” said Pate. “I’m passionate about encouraging young women to pursue STEAM careers and increasing their presence in the auto industry, and this experience gives me the opportunity to do so on a national level.”
Virtual Parade Flyover Snapchat Filter
On New Year’s Day, Honda will offer parade attendees and at-home viewers the opportunity to virtually fly over the parade route using a custom Snapchat filter. Drawing inspiration from the scene depicted on the float, the filter will enable users to embrace their inner engineer as they don a virtual helmet and goggles, assemble a jet pack and fly over a portion of the parade route. Honda also will host parade-related content on its TikTok, Instagram and Twitter channels.
Official Parade Pace and Sound Vehicles
Pacing the 2022 Rose Parade presented by Honda is the new Acura NSX Type S, the ultimate expression of Acura’s commitment to Precision Crafted Performance. With final design completed at the Acura Design Studio in Torrance, the NSX was designed and developed by Honda engineers in Raymond, Ohio, and is hand-built exclusively at the company’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio using domestic and globally sourced parts. Only 350 of these cutting-edge supercars will be produced, with 300 units destined for U.S. customers.
The first-ever 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport will serve as the Sound Vehicle for the 2022 Rose Parade presented by Honda. The first in what will be a new series of Honda TrailSport vehicles, the refreshed, rugged Passport is equally at home on dirt and mud-strewn trails as it is on the highway and parade route. The new Passport was designed at the Honda Design Studio in Torrance and developed by Honda engineers in Raymond, Ohio. It is produced by associates at Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, Alabama using domestic and globablly sourced parts.
The float itself will be powered by a specially configured 3.5L V6 engine from Honda.
Supporting STEAM Education
Through philanthropic programs and the involvement of Honda associates, Honda supports numerous STEAM learning opportunities across the U.S. to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. This includes:
- The Honda USA Foundation committed $2.5 million to eight Southern California organizations to fund the Honda STEAM Collaborative, a cradle-to-college and career pipeline for young Black and Latino men in the Greater Los Angeles area. The funding created a holistic network of support unique in providing not only academic assistance, but also job training, mentorship, and leadership development, to build life skills.
- In collaboration with the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, Honda is providing more than 20,000 award-winning COSI Learning Lunchbox STEAM Kits to students in need. The kits feature hands-on activities and curriculum designed to help bridge the education gap and accelerate learning. The kits will primarily serve the communities where Honda and Acura develop and manufacture products, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina.
- Honda associates across the country are dedicated to STEAM education and are actively involved in mentorship, design challenges and speaking engagements in their local communities to help inspire the next generation of STEAM professionals.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.
Honda in America
Honda started U.S. operations with the establishment of America Honda Motor Co., Inc. in 1959. Today, Honda employs 30,000 associates in America engaged in the development, manufacturing, sales and service support of Honda and Acura automobiles, Honda power equipment, Honda powersports products and the HondaJet advanced light jet.
Based on its longstanding commitment to build products close to the customer, Honda operates 12 major U.S. manufacturing facilities, working with more than 620 U.S. suppliers to produce the diverse range of Honda products. In 2020, more than two-thirds of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
Honda also operates 19 research and development facilities in America that fully design, develop and engineer many of the products the company manufactures in America.
More information about Honda is available in the Digital Fact Book.
Source: Honda