March 5, 2024

We built a chair!

“Oh my god, I can’t believe it actually works” is my first thought when I saw Sanni’s (Rise Team member) kid sit in our prototype corner chair. We have been working on this prototype for almost 8 days straight, getting to Rise as soon as blogs are done and emerging from the workshop cellar just in time to see the sunset. Guesstimate the dimensions, ask the Rise medical team for their thoughts and approval, create the structure, add the foam, add the medical coverings, “Whoops, this actually needs more support; damn, get the ruler!”, pry the foam from the structure, insert the screws, reglue the foam and medical coverings, and repeat.

Our hard work came to fruition last Tuesday when Sanni brought his kid to test out the prototype, and the mechanics and dimensions worked out better than we expected. As we happily made notes on what could be improved on for the next iteration of the prototype, we also had our closing talk with Arun where he asked us what opinions we had formed.

At the beginning of our internship, he told us to make sure by the end of anything we do, we leave with an opinion/lesson, whether good or bad because it helps us decide what to do next. So here are a few lessons learned that I have formed in my sleep-deprived state as I write my blog.

-Starting with a rough plan, figuring it out along the way and constantly testing is the best way to go and you learn more too.
-Eating with your hands enhances the flavor of a meal and is always the better option.
-Having a great team that you love working with is vital for any project, especially in GCIL.
-The best people watching happens hanging off the back of an auto rickshaw.
-The best place to take a nap is in a hammock on the roof of UTC or in the shade at Cubbon Park.

I’ll probably come up with more when the shock of adjusting back to life in Seattle hits me, but for now this will do.

This program has been something I’ve been looking forward to since I was a sophomore. Amid all the stress, doubts, and imposter syndrome that comes from taking weed-out classes, I had this program and the rest of my senior year to look forward to. With the program coming to a close in a few days, and another bucket list item being crossed off, I’m grateful to all of my classmates, mentors, that said yes to this journey and the lessons I learned here that made the wait worthwhile.

By Arielle