High School Talent Shines in 2025 Stellantis Drive for Design Contest

The winners of the 2025 Stellantis Drive for Design contest have just been announced, and once again, high school students across the U.S. have impressed with their creativity and vision for the future of the Chrysler brand.

Now in its 13th year, the Stellantis Drive for Design competition gives students in grades 10-12 a chance to flex their design skills by sketching what they imagine the next generation of Chrysler vehicles could look like. The goal? To get young talent excited about careers in automotive design—and it’s working.

Taking first place this year is Ryan Panizzoli, an 11th grader from Michigan. His prize? A once-in-a-lifetime summer internship with the Ram Truck design team, plus an invitation to serve as a student judge at the EyesOn Design Car Show at Ford House in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Ryan will also receive an Apple iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil and will be featured across Stellantis North America’s social media channels.

Second place went to Felix Bucaro, an 11th-grade student from Wisconsin. Owen Bronson, also in 11th grade from Michigan, rounded out the top three in third place. Both will receive iPad Pro packages, a virtual mentoring session with Stellantis designers, and spots as student judges at the EyesOn Design show. Plus, they’ve each earned a scholarship to attend the College for Creative Studies’ Precollege Summer Experience in Detroit—focused specifically on transportation design.

According to Mark Trostle, Head of Ram Truck and Mopar design, the competition was tighter than ever. “Judging the entries this year was a huge challenge,” Trostle said. “The level of effort and focus these students brought to their work was incredible. We’re proud to recognize and encourage their talent at such a young age.”

This year’s challenge came during a landmark year for Chrysler—the brand’s 100th anniversary. That legacy made the theme even more meaningful as students imagined what the next century of Chrysler design might look like.

Past winners of the Drive for Design contest have gone on to land internships and jobs within Stellantis. Some even now work on real design teams—proof that this contest is more than just bragging rights. It’s a launch pad.

For any student passionate about cars, creativity, and design, this competition proves the American dream of designing the future is alive and well, one sketch at a time.