STEMbassador Senior Spotlight: Kya Jones

What made you want to become a STEM Ambassador in the first place?

My interest in engineering led me to want to be a STEMbassador.

What has been your biggest learning curve in the lab?

Remembering which was the material is suppose to face when cutting heat transfer or vinyl.

What tool do you like best and why?

I like the vinyl cutter because I can create basically anything. Whether it comes from the internet or I draw it by hand I can make it into a sticker or a heat transfer.

How is the lab helping you see potential in your future plans for college or career?

I plan to become a Mechanical Engineer and having access to the fab lab gives me the opportunity to learn about a few machines that I could be working with in the future.

What has been your biggest success in the lab so far?

I want to say that my biggest success was speaking on a panel in front of Andy Kim and many other important people.

What are you most proud of from your experiences as a STEM Ambassador?

Something I’m proud of from my experiences if being able to explain to others how the machines work and have the opportunity to show off what the FabLab can create.

What are your plans for next year?

I plan on attending a 4 year college to obtain my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Delran STEM Ambassadors are Delran High School students selected from applicants because they demonstrated a passion for STEM, and possessed outstanding communication skills. Much like an internship, STEM Ambassadors have participated in rigorous training within the Delran Innovation & Fabrication Lab space. These learning opportunities are not available to most high school students in our country, since the idea of digital fabrication has only begun to grow in the K-12 sector, to meet the needs of Workforce Development. Delran's STEM Ambassadors have experienced and now taught others in computer-aided design software in 2D and 3D, including Corel Draw, FabMakerStudio, Tinkercad, etc. STEM Ambassadors have utilized these digital design skills to fabricate on vinyl cutters, 3D printers, laser cutters and die cut machines. While teaching others, including younger students in community outreach programs, and adults in staff professional development programs, STEM Ambassadors share their expertise with others. We are certain that this platform for intelligent, relevant communication and positive interaction, will encourage our STEM Ambassadors to be at the forefront of the next generation of STEM innovators.