Engineering

Learning basic engineering skills, like sketching and following the design process. Sketching ideas allows me to visualize concepts clearly, helping to refine designs before moving into CAD modeling. 

Understanding each step of the design process—from defining your problem to brainstorming to testing—has been essential in creating well-thought-out and functional solutions.

Exploring various engineering fields has broadened my understanding of potential career paths and deepened my appreciation for each discipline's unique challenges. 

Additionally, collaborating with different people on every project has taught me valuable teamwork and communication skills, essential for engineering success. 

Learning CAD through Fusion 360, I designed various projects like an ornament, a shuttle pen, and a functional button maker. 

Reverse engineering the shuttle pen helped me understand complex mechanisms and improve my technical skills. Creating a functional button maker pushed me to apply CAD techniques for practical, real-world use, expanding my capabilities with the software.

Learning about basic simple machines, like levers, pulleys, and inclined planes, helped me understand the mechanics behind everyday tools. 

With my class, I applied these concepts by creating a Rube Goldberg machine, combining each machine type into a chain reaction to achieve a simple task. This hands-on project reinforced my understanding and allowed us to work collaboratively in a fun way.

Learning to build robots with VEX for Olympic-style games introduced me to both the hardware and software aspects of robotics. 

My team and I designed and programmed robots to compete in events like relay races, tug-of-war, golf, and accuracy-based challenges like bullseye. Each event required different skills and adaptations, teaching me how to optimize robot functionality and work with my team to refine our robot for each competition.

Due to environmental concerns, we started researching renewable and sustainable energy. 

This foundation has made me eager to dive into circuits and breadboarding, where I can see energy in action through hands-on experimentation.

 Understanding how circuits work and learning to build them on a breadboard feels like unlocking a new level of practical engineering skills.