The most unforgettable memory I have from my childhood is trying to stick Elmo stickers on my father's hot pink street rod. I remember my dad rushing over asking what I was doing, and when I told him I was trying to make his car "more pretty", he instead led me to his rusty truck. Together, we stuck Elmo stickers on the passenger side door where they remained for years until the Dakota's final days. This amusing event was just the beginning of my enthusiasm for the automobile.
Growing up, I went to car shows with my parents, watched NHRA drag racing with my dad, held flashlights while my father worked on his 1938 Dodge, and even continuted my interest for automotive design by teaching myself pinstriping. Over the years, my dad and I had frequent conversations about paint jobs, interior colors, grills, wheel design, and more, and on occasion I would ask about how some of the performance parts work. I had always thought of the mechanical components as confusing and did not think I would be able to understand. One day while we were talking, I asked my dad how an engine worked, and his explanation stuck with me. Even though I did not fully understand, I found it fascinating that the components worked together to convert energy into motion. I decided to investigate careers that would allow me to continue exploring this interest, which is how I stumbled upon, and eventually chose, mechanical engineering.
I had settled on mechanical engineering by the beginning of my senior year. Since cars are what sparked my interest in the first place, I wanted to take Automotive Awareness to learn more about how the vehicle works. However, the class did not fit into my schedule. I was bummed, but I decided to fill that credit with an online class, Foundations of Computer Programming. It sounding engineering related, so even though I had no idea what computer programming was, I decided to give it a go. I finished both semesters in less than one semester and enjoyed every second of it. The following semester I signed up for AP Computer Science online, and that only strengthened my interest. From that point on, I knew I wanted my career to involve computer science, but I also still wanted to do mechanical engineering. I kept my major as mechanical engineering, but during my freshman year at MSOE, I took Introduction to Mechatronics where I learned about the intersection of mechanical engineering and computer programming. That trimester I submitted a request to add computer science as a second major.
Designed and programmed a 3-axis robotic arm to move horizontally into a force sensing resistor with NeoPixels displaying the ratio of force to the user's desired maximum force.
Robotic Arm with Force Sensor Explanation Video
With a team of 3 members, took apart an airbrush and created SolidWorks models for each component and an assembly model with animation to show how it is put together.
Iwata Eclipse HP-CS Airbrush SolidWorks Model
With approximately 30 team members, worked on the drivetrain and frontend system of a lunar mining robot that would compete against other robots at the NASA Kennedy Space Center.
Currently designing a system that automatically waters my plants when a soil moisture sensor senses that the soil is too dry.
Currently learning web design through Coursera courses and applying my knowledge to this website.