The final week of the SEED program was easily my favorite. Through Wednesday, the energy in the OEDK was incredibly high as all the teams worked to finalize their prototypes and visuals for Thursday’s showcase. It was really amazing to see what everyone was able to accomplish in just seven weeks, and exciting to be able to share that work with a broader audience. My team was able to finish up our prototypes by the end of the day on Tuesday, so we were able to spend Wednesday practicing our presentation and making final touches. 

I was also able to tweak and finish the animations of our digital prototype renders, which we displayed on a monitor on Thursday to help show the functions of each design. Using Fusion 360 for creating renders and animations was something I had never done, so I really enjoyed getting to learn those new skills. My team was able to help me think about how best to show all the aspects of each prototype in about 20 seconds, and I was really happy with how they turned out.

At showcase, my team got to go first and kick off the presentations, which was great. My favorite part was following the presentations, when each team got to stand at their table with a poster and all their prototypes to answer questions and talk to attendees. Hearing feedback from people on the Rice 360 team was so rewarding, and seeing how excited people were about our work and the future of the project made all the late nights and super-glued fingers worth it.

Seven weeks ago, I was excited about starting SEED as a way to get back into the OEDK and work on a new project. I had no idea how many opportunities I would have over the course of the program to develop skills, meet amazing people, and start a brand new project for a program I’m incredibly passionate about. This was such a fulfilling way to spend my summer. I’m so grateful to have worked with such a talented and engaged team, and for the opportunity to be a part of it.