Coldstream, British Columbia, Canada
In September, 2025, I wanted to compete in a new design challenge. With two peers, we founded the Okanagan Rover Craft club; an interdisciplinary group of students from Engineering, Computer Science, Physical Sciences, and Graphic Design. Our club team is designing and manufacturing a Mars-style rover for the Canadian International Rover Challenge, held annually in Drumheller, Alberta. This competition involves the design of a semi-autonomous, task-oriented, rover, like the ones NASA makes. We have connected, coordinated, and communicated with student bodies, organizations, and professors to allow us to prototype and design a Mars-style rover. Through grit, determination, perseverance, and finding the correct person to talk to, the Okanagan Rover Craft club has been granted the ability to meet, discuss, and create a final product. More and more, our club becomes knitted into the fabric of UBCO and the School of Engineering, and we intend for it to stay for many years due to the incredible services it can provide students. As the vice-president and co-founder, I am proud of our efforts that brought the club to the stage it is now.
Coordinating with Dr. Lukas Bichler, I applied to the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada for the Undergraduate Student Research Award, and was awarded it. I had an amazing privilege to conduct undergraduate student research in Materials Science and Engineering. My main role involved novel manufacturing of materials using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). With my reliability, accountability, and attention to detail, the PhD student I worked alongside, Dr. Lava Pillari, advocated for me and trained me on SPS, making me the first undergrad to operate that piece of machinery at UBCO. In my role, I prepared powdered samples for sintering, conducted the experiment, and cleaned the produced sintered sample. Some of the materials I sintered include: high-performance ceramics, functionally graded materials, high-entropy alloys, carbon-bearing material, and high-melting-point alloys. Beyond sintering, I assisted in experimental design, sample preparation, and execution for aluminum alloy research. Some of my most memorable and exciting experience came from this research: the chance to assist in aluminum casting, the opportunity to help run the Scanning Electron Microscope and perform electron backscatter diffraction, and the challenge to design a method to hold samples for tribometer testing. Due to my work ethic and quality of product, Dr. Bichler recommended me to continue with the research group. The position of Undergraduate Student Research Assistant was an incredible experience; networking opportunities, learning and applying theory, and being part of something bigger than myself.
In September 2024, I joined Okanagan Marine Robotics as a project lead for the torpedo systems (a small plastic projectile), a brand-new subteam. As my first design team experience, leading a team of six members to create a torpedo from the ground up was insightful and rewarding. My biggest success in the project came despite the budget constraints. Originally, our executive team wanted an intricate self-orientating, electric torpedo. This was an ambitious goal, considering the underwater design environment. While I directed the resources of the design project towards designing a unit for the required electrical componentry, I ensured a functional product by directing other resources towards designing a simple spring-loaded ‘Plan B’ model, in case cost and feasibility would prevent the other. Within months to the competition, no funding was granted to create the self-driving unit, so the torpedo team was able to readily pivot with a functional model. With its design simplicity, quick ideation and prototyping occurred, and two successful units were manufactured for the submarine. I learned and reinforced my understanding of redundancy, planning, and realism in my design. The design team experience was an exceptional opportunity to apply my technical and soft skills, and it encouraged and inspired me to co-found another design-focused club.
The responsibilities of my position changed and grew as I did in the organization. By the end of my employment, these were my responsibilities: - Processed administration, admission, and retail - Communicated with clients regarding refunds, questions, etc. - Organized and prepared scientific entertainment for Birthday Parties - Researched and delivered scientifically entertaining Gallery Shows - Conducted exhibit repair, maintenance, and movement - Prepared crafts and projects for a weekly science program (Ages 2 - 5) - Either led or assisted with various science programs and camps for different organizations and the public, including schools, girl guides, homeschooled students, and more - Prepared planetarium shows and operated the Gyro Chair - Spearheaded three afterschool STEAM programs, collaborating with LAUNCH Waterloo for lesson content and resources - Hosted or assisted with many Summer Camps, primarily teaching robotics, engineering, design, computer programming, chemistry, and critical thinking - Developed various exhibits - Cleaning, general building maintenance and painting Notable projects: - Developed an interactive light-up Periodic Table: • Coordinated and advised cost and materials for the project. • Designed an engineering drawing for The Men’s Shed, a local Non-profit, • Oversaw the physical creation of the wooden project, assisting where needed to build the project. • Developed the lighting system, cutting and soldering 118 addressable LEDs, and designed custom lighting fixtures. • Developed the onboard Arduino microcontroller program, including Bluetooth connectivity, element information stored in databases, and individual light control. - Planned and executed an award-winning Science Center Scene Investigation after-hours event for the Vernon Winter Carnival, which included coordinating and leading a team of volunteers - Repaired and brought back to life an old exhibit: a complex robotic clock based on a multiaxis robotic arm