Break to Make
USC's first all-women makeathon, hosted by Spark SC.
As part of a team of six, I organized a hardware hackathon for over 80 makers - from engineers, designers, to architects - to learn and explore making things in a supportive, challenging and hands-on environment. I worked with USC's Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering department to provide a lab space for women to prototype a solution to one of the project categories.
I've always loved making and fixing things - from DIY-ing crafts in the store to fixing any of my belongings - and was excited to study mechanical engineering in college. However, the majority of my first three years had little to no hands-on experience. Participating in various makeathons on campus - 48 hours of exciting, non-stop CAD, 3D printing, and hacking of prototypes - reminded me how much I love engineering. I wanted to help create that same supportive environment for women to learn, build, and remember why making is so empowering and fun.
The Dream Team (from left to right): Raghav Maheshwari, me!, Lysandra Vuong, Mimi Tran Zambetti, and Ben Stanfield (not pictured: Liam Maddox)
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Project Launch
Connecting underserved Los Angeles high school students to USC student mentors
Project Launch is a mentorship program connecting underserved Los Angeles high school students to USC student mentors to learn the hard and soft skills, and growth mindset to be future leaders. I helped start this program as part of Spark SC.
I served as the mentor lead, searching and connecting a dozen passionate mentors to a dozen mentees to facilitate trips around the tech and entrepreneurship space in Los Angeles, as well as attend weekly workshops to learn practical skills such as coding, designing, sending professional emails, and ideating - crucial skills that many don't learn in school.
Pictured: Project Launch Opening Ceremony 2018
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