How NASCAR Intern Camilla Bowens-Wilkins Designed Its First-Ever Delta Sigma Theta Show Car – AfroTech

A Louisiana State University student’s internship has led to a historic opportunity.

Camilla Bowens-Wilkins got involved quickly when she got to LSU. From crossing into the Iota Theta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in Fall 2025 to becoming a NASCAR NEXT intern a little over a year later, she continues to build on opportunities that align with her interests.

“I’m from Boston, Massachusetts,” she told AfroTech. “I got to Louisiana State University [and am studying] sports administration. What led me to NASCAR is that growing up, I was an athlete, but NASCAR specifically, my dad was a racing fan, so it’s always on in the background. My favorite movie growing up was Cars. My mom always says that back when people watched DVDs, I went through three Cars DVDs because I just needed it on. Racing has always been a part of my life.”

As Bowens-Wilkins was on LinkedIn searching for internship opportunities, she stumbled upon NASCAR NEXT, a 10-week summer immersive experience for undergraduate students, graduate students, or recent graduates, providing hands-on career training and mentorship across various business and technical areas of the motorsports industry.

How her internship took on a whole new meaning

Not only did the LSU student land the internship, but she also recently made history by serving as the designer of the first-ever Delta Sigma Theta-branded show car, which debuted during the 2026 Delta Sigma Theta South Atlantic Regional Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, where NASCAR’s headquarters are located.

The internship kicked off just as NASCAR was in communication with the South Atlantic Region, and when they realized that Bowens-Wilkins was part of the sorority, the timing lined up.

“When I came in, they showed me a version of the car, and they also asked me, knowing that I’m a Delta, what input I have, things of that nature, so I was able to really look into the design, brainstorm, and start designing it. Things I would want to add, things that should be tweaked, and then it ended up turning into my design fully. It was really cool to see it in person and see all of the things that I added, like that intelligence is a torch of wisdom, which came strictly from Delta, so I was able to add that touch to it as well. It was just another really cool full-circle moment for me, and my boss, Brandon, he’s a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, so it was just really cool for Greek unity, him supporting me throughout the whole process.”

On breaking barriers in motorsports

Traditionally, NASCAR has been viewed as a white male-dominated field; however, many trailblazers have brought diversity to the space over the years.

From Wendell Scott, who made history as the first African American driver to win a race in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series in 1964 and became the first Black driver to be included in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, to Bill Lester, who followed in his footsteps to become the first Black driver to start a modern Cup Series race in 2006, as well as current-day pioneers like Bubba Wallace, Rajah Caruth, and more, there has been a rise in inclusion within the company.

Bowens-Wilkins spoke to what it means to join that legacy of trailblazers through her accomplishment with NASCAR NEXT.

“It’s amazing walking into the NASCAR office; just seeing so many people who look like me was really inspirational. I feel like there are people already in the space that are paving the way for young people like me, but everything that I do, I just go in knowing that I have full faith in myself, which is what led me to Delta as well,” she said. “The whole history behind why we were founded, back in 1913, was at the height of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. 22 women wanted to go out and make a change; they started Delta Sigma Theta and did that regardless of what was considered the norm at that time. Now, being a member of that sorority, I can really live in that truth.”

She added, “Also for myself, while I am from Boston, my mom lives in a predominantly white town, which is where I went to school. In 2020, I hit the streets and started to make some noise too, which is my connection to one of the reasons I wanted to become a Delta. You just have to step out and make a way if it hasn’t been made already, because there’s so many people who are looking up to you. Again, my boss is a Black woman, I look up to her, and there’s so many girls that have been looking up to me, even just messaging me too, so you just never know what your influence can be.”

The moment it all clicked

Once Bowens-Wilkins saw the car on display in the convention center during the conference, that is when things really became real.

“I went down to see it when it was unveiled, and immediately when I got there, it was a line of sorors just trying to take a picture. I could see the line when I turned the corner, but I wasn’t sure what the line was for, and as I got closer I was like, ‘Oh, that’s the line for the car I designed.’ Just hearing people be like, ‘Wow, NASCAR really did this! Wow, this is so amazing. They captured the sorority so well,’ and them not knowing that I was the one who designed it, standing right there, meant so much,” she concluded.