Despite spending her days surrounded by the roar of race cars, the sound that can still stop Philippa Tuckey-Steinbrenner in her tracks is the tardy bell at Palm Harbor University High School.

More than a decade after graduating from PHUHS, Tuckey recently returned to campus and was instantly transported back to her high school years the moment the familiar bell echoed through the hallways.

“It was incredibly nostalgic,” Tuckey-Steinbrenner said. “I hadn’t heard that bell in over 10 years.”

Today, Tuckey-Steinbrenner works within the McLaren Racing organization, helping oversee a professional racing series for amateur and developing drivers. She spends her days immersed in one of the fastest and most competitive industries in the world, a career path that began taking shape long before she ever stepped foot on a professional track.

A member of Palm Harbor University High School’s Class of 2012, Tuckey-Steinbrenner grew up in Palm Harbor and attended Garrison-Jones Elementary and Palm Harbor Middle before arriving at PHUHS. Returning to campus recently reminded her not only of the school itself, but of the friendships and community that have remained constant long after graduation.

“I was at a wedding last weekend where there were probably 20 to 30 PHUHS alumni,” she said. “We’ve seen each other grow within our careers, within our families, getting married and having children. That community has been really special.”

While many students knew Tuckey-Steinbrenner through dance, a lifelong passion she pursued after high school, some of her most meaningful experiences on campus came through athletic training. As a student athletic trainer, she spent hundreds of volunteer hours supporting Palm Harbor’s athletic programs, particularly football during the height of the school’s rivalry games against East Lake and Countryside.

“I’ve always had a love for sports,” Tuckey-Steinbrenner said. “Being a student athletic trainer was probably my first step into the sports world.”

At the time, she had no idea that experience would eventually connect to a future career in motorsports.

After graduation, Tuckey-Steinbrenner attended community college while trying to determine what direction she wanted her life to take. Like many students, she felt the uncertainty that often comes with being 18 years old and expected to map out a future.

At the same time, motorsports had always quietly been part of her world. Her father worked in racing, and weekends growing up often centered around watching Formula One and IndyCar together as a family.

Then came her first race in downtown St. Petersburg.

“That was pretty much it,” she said. “I realized that’s exactly what I wanted to do.”

Tuckey-Steinbrenner began in the industry answering phones and sorting mail for a racing team while continuing coursework online. She gradually earned more responsibility, proving herself through hard work, consistency, and a clear passion for the sport.

Twelve years later, she now works for one of the most recognized names in racing.

“It’s still crazy when I say that I work for McLaren and people know exactly who I work for,” she said.

Her current role focuses on a McLaren racing series designed for amateur and aspiring professional drivers looking to transition from road cars into competitive motorsports. Though the environment is intense and fast-paced, Tuckey says she was drawn to the complexity of racing from the very beginning.

“It’s such a team sport,” she said. “But when the driver is out on track, they’re on their own and have to figure it out. I was fascinated by how all those pieces worked together.”

Over the course of her career, Tuckey-Steinbrenner has also witnessed a major evolution for women in motorsports.

“When I first started, there were maybe a handful of women I would see at the track every time,” she said. “Now it’s hundreds of women in all facets of racing: engineering, technical roles, pit stops, business development.”

She hopes more young women continue exploring opportunities in the sport and says mentorship and accessibility have improved dramatically in recent years.

“Women who didn’t have access to help when we were younger now want to give back and help the next generation,” she said.

Looking back, Tuckey-Steinbrenner believes Palm Harbor University High School helped prepare her not only academically, but personally. She credits the school’s culture and diverse student community with helping shape the communication and relationship-building skills that continue to serve her professionally.

“You can’t put yourself in a box of what you’re comfortable with,” she said. “You have to be able to connect with other people no matter who they are.”

She also remembers the high expectations that came with being a student at PHUHS.

“There really is a level of expectation of achieving and being involved,” Tuckey-Steinbrenner said. “Going to a school as amazing as Palm Harbor was something I felt very lucky for.”

Though she has already built an impressive career on the international racing stage, Tuckey-Steinbrenner says she is still focused on what comes next. One day, she hopes to work for IndyCar racing — the sport that first inspired her career all those years ago in St. Petersburg.

“To be back there and running an IndyCar team would probably check all the boxes for what I truly want to achieve,” she said.