Here are a few highlights from projects, organizations, and hobbies that I devote my time to.
Volunteering: Wheels Ministry
Wheels is a program through the Crossroads organization where volunteers fix up donated cars so they can be given to people in need of reliable transportation. I volunteer here on a weekly basis because I love the camaraderie and feeling of doing something meaningful for others. I am always learning there, and the skills I have gained there will be useful to me as an engineer and when working on my own cars.
Co-op Projects: Passport 20 Configurations
For two different projects I worked on, I put together presentations, gathered a team, and held a kickoff meeting to get everyone on the same page and thinking of ideas. From heading small projects, I learned the importance of giving people the right amount of background information, documenting project progress, and making sure specific people are assigned to important tasks. I also learned that looking for answers to questions on my own first makes me much more able to understand other people's advice and allows me to ask intelligent questions.
Hobbies: Modifying Cars and Rock Climbing
Outside of co-op and classes, these two hobbies are what I devote much of m time to. I enjoy modifying my car because I like figuring out how to improve things and learning how things work. I find many technical skills and general mechanical knowledge that I gain from working on cars to be applicable during my co-ops and in classes. I go rock climbing in a gym two to four times a week and sometimes outdoors on the weekends. The physical exercise and puzzle-solving of climbing helps me feel refreshed and sharp to do engineering work.