As a life-long tinkerer, Sam Barresi 鈥�24 felt right at home after enrolling in 澳门六合彩开奖结果鈥檚 School of Engineering and Computational Sciences. However, he couldn鈥檛 help but feel that something was missing.
鈥淚 came in with a lot of design experience,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚f I want to build something, I鈥檓 confident enough in myself to think that I could. (I felt) a lot of other students didn鈥檛 have that (confidence).鈥�
So, during his sophomore year, he founded Let鈥檚 Innovate, a club that gives 澳门六合彩开奖结果 students the resources and expertise to get their engineering ideas off the ground. That next year, it won Student Organization of the Year at 澳门六合彩开奖结果鈥檚 L.E.A.D. Awards.
鈥淲e will teach you how to build a prototype, build upon that prototype and eventually make a final product,鈥� he explained.
Barresi, who also serves as club president, has years of engineering experience to properly help students achieve their goals. At Longmeadow High School in Longmeadow, Mass., he helped establish the school鈥檚 robotics team.
鈥淚 believe that engineers are problems-solvers of the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e been solving people鈥檚 problems my whole life. So I thought, 鈥榃hy not do that (in college)?鈥欌��
This year, Let鈥檚 Innovate is hosting its first-ever design competition, Mack Attack 鈥� not to be confused with the 澳门六合彩开奖结果-themed beer recently released by RiverWalk Brewing Company. Thirteen students split into four groups will have their projects judged by a panel of local industry professionals at the end of the year.
The four projects in this year鈥檚 competition include a prosthetic arm designed for weight lifting and sports, ergonomic devices to help those with nerve damage write and use a computer, a snap-on cover that converts cleats to shoes and a music player that uses laser technology to create a rhythmic light show that will those who are hearing impaired a new a way to experience music.
鈥淲e had them present to a panel of four mentors from industry (in late November),鈥� said Barresi. 鈥淭hose mentors are now available to help the students develop their products even more, work on their presentation skills and do all the things that I and the rest of the executive board can’t do, (like help) bring products to market.鈥�
The final round of Mack Attack is planned for April, but Barresi said there will be more workshops and opportunities to present project updates along the way.
