Martin Chatelier, 4th Year Mobility Design Class of 2017
– Hello, Martin, please tell us about yourself?
Hello! I am 21 years old. In September 2016, I started studying in the 4th year at STRATE. I started this academic year with an internship in Germany at Mercedes-Benz in, after a 5-month stint at Renault. I came from Nantes to Paris for my studies and my passion – cars!
– Can you share the path you took to enrol at Strate?
It was quite straight-forward. In 2013, I completed my high school with a diploma in science, with optional art and volleyball from Nantes. I straightaway joined Strate after obtaining the Baccalaureate. Before enrolling here, I had worked for an architect for 3 months, between 2011 and 2013.
I had also spent a week at Style and Design, formerly called Idestyle, which is the design agency specializing in transport in the Paris region. That was in 2010, and that is where I discovered the world of Auto Design.
– What made you want to come to Strate? Why Strate?
I have been fascinated by cars since I was a little boy. Ever since I can remember, I have spent my time drawing or creating vehicles of all kinds. So when it was time, I found out about the different schools offering design curricula specializing in mobility in France. That is when I learnt about STRATE. I chose Strate over other schools because of its growing reputation in the automotive sector. I also visited the school twice during the open days during my high school years. I was impressed by the variety and quality of the projects exhibited by both the students as well as the institution!
– How did you become interested in mobility design? Were you sure that you wanted to do this before entering Strate?
Like I said before, I have always been passionate about automobiles. I don’t know how, when and why it started. I guess I was born with it! And then as I grew up, I also began to take an interest in technological innovations. Plus, I wanted to discover the different problems and flaws in the design of a car. So when I found out that there is actually a profession that involved the designing and creation of vehicles, I knew right away that this is what I wanted to do. All of this only reinforced my interest in STRATE.
– You’re in your 4th year, what is your dream today?
That’s difficult to answer! I have plenty of dreams! I can definitely say that the dreams that I had as a young boy have become more specific. But they have also broadened thanks to my years at STRATE and the discovery of the world of business. What I do know for sure is that I shall always have this need to create, to design what I have in my head come what may! One of my dreams (among others) is to design someday for the world of cinema.
– What do you see yourself doing, after your studies?
At this point of time, it`s a bit difficult to say what exactly I will be doing after my studies. All I know is that I need to and I will try to learn as much as I possibly can in these years at Strate, during the many internships, in other countries… I am aware that I am extremely fortunate to have access to so much of knowledge here, to be able to travel, to discover other cultures, other people, other professional circles. I am changing, evolving at an impressive speed, which is probably what is stopping me from answering this question very precisely. I’m sure though that I am going to have a lot of fun!
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