I think because of my short attention span, I gained a wide variety of knowledge and skills. Some new thing always rolls around that I obsess over and try to learn as much as I can about it for 3-4 weeks. A few have stuck with me, which I now consider hobbies. In high school, I built theater sets and did lighting design as an extracurricular activity. This showed me that I loved problem solving and working with my hands. From the set building, I have a firm grasp on basic woodworking and construction. My step dad is a handy man and home remodeler whom I worked for/with on many projects. This experience lead me to develop good listening and instruction-following skills.

Just like a majority of mechanical engineering students, I have become proficient at SolidWorks modeling, 3D printing, laser cutting, Arduino Programing, electronic prototyping and hardware control, operating mill and lathe (mainly lathe), prototyping/physical modeling, and the iterative design process. I have recently picked up sewing as a hobby and have been making my own utility bags for camping.

Originally, I wanted to go into the mechatronics and controls industry, but in the past couple of years have become more interested in product design. I work for a medical device development firm and very much enjoy what I do there. In the future, I see myself in the outdoor gear industry designing backpacks, tents, and lanterns. This would be my main job. On the side, I would like to design and build home furniture. Ultimately, I want to design beautiful and functional objects. I believe the quality of one’s life can be improved through well designed objects and this is what I strive to do.