With the release of Barbie earlier this month, I am reminded of the days when McDonalds would offer customers the option of either Barbie or Hot Wheels toys for their Happy Meals. Now back in those days, gender bias was an issue that Ronald McDonald still needed to work through. Fortunately, customers are no longer asked if the Happy Meal is for a boy or for a girl, seeing as boys and girls can both play with Barbie and Hot Wheels. And I’m certain this was the case for our latest Meet a Dork guest Dalal Elsheikh.
Dalal Elsheikh is a judge on Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge and an Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Designer at the Ford Motor Company.
She attended ArtCenter College of Design for her Master of Science in Transportation Systems and DesignMaster of Science – MS, Transportation Systems and Design as well as New Jersey Institute of Technology for her undergraduate degree in Industrial and Product Design.
During her interview with Dorkaholics, she talked about her lifelong passion for cars, the importance of diving into what makes oneself unique and how important that is to each person’s path to success. And, of course, we discuss her favorite superhero growing up (hint: 90s shoujo anime).
Be sure to catch Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge on NBC each Tuesday at 10:00pm PST.
About Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge: Sixteen contestants compete to transform cars from their past into the life-sized Hot Wheels of their dreams in the hopes of winning a life-changing cash prize — and seeing their creation made into a Hot Wheels die-cast toy that anyone can buy.
