Simon Weisberg '13: Safety Test Engineer for Porsche in Prague

 

Simon Weisberg is currently working as a Safety Test Engineer for Porsche in Prague, where he helps test and evaluate all-wheel drive, suspension and braking systems for high-performance luxury brands including Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley. A graduate of Sinai Akiba Academy, Simon credits SAA with helping shape the global mindset, language skills, and strong academic foundation that continue to guide him today. We asked Simon to reflect on his SAA journey:

 

The friendships and teachers. I made so many great friends at SAA, and I still stay in touch with several teachers and classmates today. The community really made a lasting impact on me.

 

The language skills and strong academics at SAA helped prepare me for both engineering and living abroad. The math foundation I built at Sinai was especially important for my studies in engineering and physics, and learning languages early on helped me pick up German and Czech more easily.

 

After SAA, I attended Harvard-Westlake before continuing to Colgate University. I later completed undergraduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics through the Colgate and Columbia University program, along with a minor in Mandarin, and then earned my master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia.

 

I work as a Safety Test Engineer for Porsche in Prague, where my team tests pre-production vehicles in extreme conditions to evaluate safety systems like traction control, braking, and suspension. We travel throughout Europe testing cars on tracks and simulators to make sure drivers and passengers stay safe under all kinds of conditions.

 

One of my favorite memories was playing Middle School flag football under Coach Allen Foster. He was incredibly motivating and made a huge impact on my life growing up. We are still in touch today, and I consider him a close friend. My Middle School teachers Heather Lipman and Marcelle Kasheri who were also tremendous influences on me.