My capstone project is a mix of my two passions. I sought to create something that I could hold physically, an object I could brainstorm, test, build, innovate, and refine until I was proud of what I had accomplished. To integrate my love of medicine, I decided to design a healthcare robot. Using an Alexa Echo Dot and face-tracking system, the goal was to develop a device that users could easily communicate with. This robot would not only assist in diagnosing symptoms but also offer various treatment options, ranging from over-the-counter remedies to prescription medications. Oftentimes, when people research their symptoms online, they get an automated response, which can lead to anxiety. For instance,e someone might look up information on a cough they might be experiencing and end up fearing they have a life-threatening condition. I want to take away this anxiety by creating a user-friendly device that provides comfort and clarity. I aimed to develop a tool that helps individuals who may find it difficult to read and/or write, allowing them to gain peace of mind regarding their health. Ultimately, I hope to bridge the gap between the medical field and everyday people, making healthcare more accessible and understandable.

For my Capstone, I combined my passions for social justice and crafting with my engineering education. I designed and fabricated necklaces, keychains, and stickers to support three causes: Palestinian liberation, climate justice, and trans rights. The necklaces were laser cut, the keychains were sewn from upcycled clothes, and the stickers were drawn and printed. I sold these items at my school’s art show and donated all the profits to the following organizations: the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Philly Thrive, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Trevor Project. The total amount donated was $270. Overall, the process was more difficult than I had anticipated, due to several obstacles that came up. Luckily, I was able to overcome these, and still create a project I was proud of. The process taught me a lot about time management, creative skills, business, and advocacy. I am proud not only by the donation amount I collected, but by knowing people feel empowered through my art, and will continue to show it off even after I am gone.

Some pictures are featured below. Click this link to see the full folder of images documenting my project: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sDc3XRf2qhWirj0URFzNVv3dUJSShmve?usp=sharing

For my Capstone, I decided to make a website filled with educational games dedicated to elementary and middle schoolers. To first tackle this project I had to learn about Unity, a game engine. This required me to learn a new coding language, C# (C Sharp). My mentor guided me through this as I created my first game, Odds or Evens. Once I was in good standing I then moved on to my second game, Type Zombie. This game required me to learn about 3D models, model animation, and level building. Since this game was more complex than Odds or Evens I ran into a lot of bugs, which stemmed from coding errors. During this time I was also working on my website. This required me to learn about HTML, the coding language used for building websites. However, I used a website template and adjusted the HTML code to suit my website vision. Once I was in good standing with both of my games I was able to upload them to my website and have my SLA peers test and review my games. Though I worked hard to make these games fun and functional, the reviews showed that there are always improvements to be made. Through this capstone I was able to learn not only about game development but the education of kids today as well as how to make learning more enjoyable.

My Website: pandaproductions.net

Bugs I Encountered:

CTE Testing Day:

For my Capstone, I created sample projects for each of the more “intimidating” tools in the shop—like the CNC, mill, lathe, and water jet. I displayed these projects to inspire incoming students and help them envision what’s possible with each machine. Alongside the displays, I added posters that briefly explain each tool, outline its limitations, and offer pro tips for beginners. Each project includes a plaque crediting the designer and their graduation year. While not all the projects were my own designs, I intentionally included work from members of our community to show the diverse creativity within our community. By highlighting a range of creativity, I wanted to remind new students that great work isn’t made alone—it’s built by a community.

For my capstone project I tried to learn more about and get involved with bike infrastructure in Philadelphia. This capstone project combined my interest in transportation systems in cities with my strong passion for cycling. I wanted to combine these and do something that could have a positive and real impact on the cycling community, as well as help me learn more about my favorite form of transportation and its infrastructure. My final project ended up being a site called a Story map, which displays multiple different maps that I made online using a software called ArcGIS. These maps show a map of Philadelphia, where I added annotations, a map of current initiatives by a local cycling advocacy organization called Philly Bike Action, and current city projects found online. This offers an interactive and easy way to find out more about bike infrastructure projects and helps people to figure out how they can get involved. The final aspect of this project is a paper that synthesizes all of the research and interviews I did around bike lanes and specifically the process for building them in Philadelphia. I link this paper at the bottom of my site to make it easily accessible for anyone interested in learning more about biking in Philadelphia and around the world.

Link to StoryMap I made including maps: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/020bafe0e9dc4473b63b1b1f4a51c1c4 Screenshots from it displayed below:

For my capstone, I designed and prototyped a specialized gym pin intended for cable machines. This device solves a problem in bodybuilding and resistance training: the inability to perform smooth drop sets without interrupting muscle tension. Traditional pins require you to manually adjust weights between sets, which not only breaks the flow of a workout but also limits muscle engagement. My solution was to create a pin that uses a spring-loaded mechanism, triggered by an impact or button press, to instantly drop the weight and allow for better transitions. Along with it I designed a weight collar that holds weighted plates on a barbell. I made sure my designs were 3D-printer compatible so I can spread my work to the world rather than just make the devices. These devices are aimed at improving training efficiency and promoting better results, especially for beginners who may find equipment adjustments intimidating.

For my capstone, I created an Earth Day event for SLA to educate students about the climate crisis and ways to be involved in solutions. I organized an event for April 11th, the day before spring break where every SLA student would attend two workshops and learn from volunteer presenters about different aspects of the climate crisis and ways they could get involved in solutions. I struggled with keeping people involved and in attendance leading up to the event both on the presenter side and with students leaving early for spring break. Despite that, there were full workshops and students were interested and still excited to learn. Overall, it was a successful day where every student learned more about the climate crisis.