InvenTeam and Beyond

April is an exciting month for seniors everywhere. The month is a cacophony of congratulations, have you decided, and what is that school like? It also brings the last and most extensive round of college visits. In the past month I have visited so many colleges deciding which school will help me to the future that I've been dreaming about. During these visits I have received tours of each schools engineering department and labs. I've realized how lucky and truly blessed I am to have received an education from Saratoga Springs High School, primarily because of the Project Lead The Way program. While at Smith a student tried to explain what a laser printer was and I was proud to say that I already knew how it worked and had used one as a high school student. At R.I.T. a tour of lab space brought up a course using CNC programming to control a mill. For those of us that have taken C.I.M., we already have an advantage coming into classes using that technology. Also at R.I.T. I was able to view a senior project that involves 3D printing. The seniors had made their own printer, much like ours and added key modifications. Nothing has made me feel more accomplished than seeing that printer and knowing that I understood the workings of it as a senior in high school. Project Lead The Way has given me more than I could have imagined. It has given me the ability to solve problems, think critically, and learn quickly. More than that it has propelled me into the engineering and higher education world with a strong handle on major concepts that will allow me to excel in my future endeavors.