On February 6, 2025, SBM Offshore Guyana hosted the third annual Guyana-Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix Competition. Six brilliant students from St. Rose’s High, Abram Zuil Secondary, and Paramakatoi Secondary won first place in the respective categories of Acceleration, Endurance and Innovation and Creativity, awarding them two international adventures that brought STEM learning to life.
For Serena Gangoo, Neheriah Mahadeo, Allex Harte, Jade Shepherd, Doron Fiedtkou and Corwin Barjoan, their entry into the 2025 edition of the competition was their gateway to innovation and STEM. Their journey began in Suriname, where a STEM workshop introduced them to careers in Information and Communication Technology. They explored the power of meta-skills, learned the value of active listening, teamwork and technological literacy.
A visit to Staatsolie’s oil refinery, Suriname’s national oil company, offered a firsthand look at the energy sector in Suriname, sparking deeper interest in the sector and diverse career paths. The momentum continued in Europe with captivating tours of SBM Offshore’s offices in Monaco and The Netherlands.
During the tours, the students provided a demonstration of their mousetraps for the international SBM Offshore teams, including the CEO.
“After meeting the members at SBM, I learnt the history and structure of the SBM institution. Their accomplishments and future projects amazed me. It also answered many questions about the different roles carried out in the institution,” posited Serena Gangoo.
One highlight of the trip was meeting Marco Casiraghi, the visionary behind the Mousetrap Competition. His insights into the genesis of the competition deeply moved the young minds, as he shared snippets of his own career and experiences.
Neheriah Mahadeo shared, “Meeting Mr. Marco was both inspiring and humbling… He shared that the most transformative projects often start small and face skepticism but persistence and belief in one’s mission make the difference. His words reminded me that STEM isn’t just about rapid results; it’s about sustainable impact and patience.”
In addition, Raoul Tanganelli — a leading motorsport expert and judge for the Mousetrap competition — provided insightful feedback to help students enhance the performance of their cars.
The competition helped to shape not only the students’ present success but also their futures. Doron Fiedtkou stated, “This experience really left an impact on my future goals regarding STEM, because even though I only have a year of school left, I would still really like to be a part and guide my future Mousetrap car builders to victory once more. It has also caused me to broaden my career path, because I now would like to become a part of the automotive engineering field with SBM.”
The 2025 Guyana-Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix Competition served as a launchpad for bright futures, where STEM is not just about math and science but about curiosity, creativity, and solving real-world problems. SBM Offshore Guyana is pleased to support the country’s youth, helping them transform ambitions into reality and sparking a lifelong passion for engineering, sustainability, and innovation.
