The discussion took place during “Immigration Matters: A Conversation on Policy and Law,” held June 11 at the in downtown Greensboro. The event was moderated by Omar H. Ali, professor of history and former dean of the Lloyd International Honors College at UNC Greensboro. Reynolds joined fellow panelists Heather Scavone, former associate counsel with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Abdul Omer, immigration staff attorney at the Center for New North Carolinians; and Kathy Hinshaw, chair of the Latino Community Coalition of Guilford.

Reynolds focused her remarks on recent federal guidance affecting the naturalization process, particularly the “good moral character” requirement for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. She explained that while the requirement has long been part of the naturalization process, new guidance encourages immigration officers to take a more “holistic” approach when evaluating applicants.

“It’s already a murky situation to explain to students and try to educate people on what is ‘good moral character’ because of this lack of a finite definition,” Reynolds said.

Historically, factors such as criminal history, community involvement, family responsibilities, employment history and tax compliance have been subject to assessment. She questioned how federal officials would interpret new guidance and potentially increase scrutiny across a broader range of factors, such as minor traffic violations.

Reynolds directs ������Ƶ Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic, which provides legal services to refugees and asylum seekers in North Carolina. The clinic assists clients in applying for political asylum, permanent residency, citizenship, and employment authorization, as well as reunifying families separated by war and conflict, while giving ������Ƶ Law students hands-on experience representing clients under attorney supervision.

For ������Ƶ student Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo, the event marked a full-circle moment.

Berenice Sanchez Rosaldo ’29, a political science major who is in the ������Ƶ Academy and The Mac Mahon Family Scholar in the Odyssey Program, participated as a first-time presenter. She presented alongside Danielle Lake, director of the Center for Design Thinking, and Shannice Sellars, executive director of the African American Cultural Arts and History Center.

Their presentation, “Participatory Place-shaping: How Community-led Counter Storying Encourages Civic Engagement,” highlighted Sanchez Rosaldo’s work with the Center for Design Thinking. It focused on developing counter-stories that reflect participants’ communities and environments as a form of civic engagement.

Sanchez Rosaldo drew from personal experiences, including her high school, her father’s workplace, and the Dream Center — spaces she identified as influential in her development as a student, athlete and individual.

“Seeing Berenice present her story was such a proud moment,” said Melissa Chacon Villalobos, coordinator for well-being with ������Ƶ Academy. “Watching her grow from a high school freshman to a first-year student at ������Ƶ, and seeing the impact she is already making in Alamance County, is incredibly meaningful.”

Sanchez Rosaldo began this work before enrolling at ������Ƶ, first connecting with Danielle Lake while attending Alamance Burlington Early College at ACC, where she completed a summer internship with local summer camps across Alamance County, creating lesson plans for kids ages 6-12 during her junior year of High School.

She also credits ������Ƶ Academy as instrumental in shaping her college journey.
“������Ƶ Academy opened my eyes to the idea of college and created many opportunities for me,” Sanchez Rosaldo said.

Now an Odyssey Scholar, Sanchez Rosaldo continues her work with the Center for Design Thinking through the Power + Place Collaborative and by leading design thinking workshops across campus.

The Center for Design Thinking focuses on creative, structured approaches to problem-solving. Its Power + Place Collaborative works with Alamance County leaders and community members to document and share stories that reflect the county’s diverse communities.

������Ƶ Academy supports academically promising, limited-income, and first-generation students, while the Odyssey Program provides merit-based scholarships and enrichment opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need.

“What Berenice represents is exactly why ������Ƶ Academy exists – talented students who, with the right support and opportunities, go on to lead, contribute, and create change in their communities,” said Emily Wiersma, director of the ������Ƶ Academy.

Together, the ������Ƶ Academy and Odyssey Scholars Program reflect ������Ƶ’s commitment to civic engagement and to supporting students and communities in Alamance County.

For Sanchez Rosaldo, the experience also carried personal and generational significance. Her mother attended the presentation, marking a milestone as she watched her daughter present at her first conference.

Her story reflects the broader impact of ������Ƶ’s programs on students, their families, and their communities.

It also mirrors a larger, statewide commitment to civic engagement, as institutions across North Carolina continue this work through initiatives like the , which will take place in June 2026 and is hosted by North Carolina Campus Engagement. Together, these efforts highlight how experiences like the PACE conference are not just singular moments, but part of an ongoing cycle of learning, leadership and community impact.

This spring, members of the ������Ƶ Academy team traveled to schools across Alamance County to celebrate the milestone moment with 30 ninth-grade students: their admission into ������Ƶ Academy’s newest cohort. Gathered alongside family members, teachers, counselors, and school advocates who had supported them throughout their educational journeys, students learned they had been selected to join the largest incoming class in ������Ƶ Academy’s nearly 20-year history.

The celebrations marked the culmination of a redesigned recruitment and selection process that emphasized accessibility, family engagement, collaboration, and student-centered experiences. As ������Ƶ Academy enters its twentieth year, the expanded cohort reflects both the program’s continued growth and its enduring commitment to creating pathways to college access and success for students across Alamance County.

Led by Assistant Director Briston Whitt, ������Ƶ Academy’s revised recruitment�����Ի� selection model introduced several significant enhancements, including a streamlined application process, redesigned group interview experiences, expanded family engagement opportunities, and increased collaboration with school, university, and community partners.

“Every aspect of the process was designed to create a more meaningful experience for students and families while ensuring we were able to identify Scholars who would really benefit from ���Ի���thrive in the ������Ƶ Academy community,” said Whitt. “We wanted students�����Ի� their families to feel seen, supported, and connected to the program from their very first interaction with us.”

The recruitment cycle began with intentional collaboration between ������Ƶ Academy and its network of school-based advocates. Serving as liaisons between the ������Ƶ Academy program and local schools, advocates provided valuable insight into the unique needs of their school communities and helped connect prospective students and families with information, resources and opportunities to learn more about the program.

Building on those partnerships, ������Ƶ Academy launched an extensive outreach effort that included school presentations, family information sessions, community events, social media campaigns and direct outreach to students throughout the Alamance-Burlington School System. The team also participated in events such as the ABSS Options Fair and school-based orientation programs, helping students and families begin exploring college access opportunities early in their high school careers.

The result was a strong and diverse applicant pool representing schools from across Alamance County.

Students advancing in the selection process submitted an essay and teacher recommendation, before participating in a redesigned group interview experience hosted for the first time ever on ������Ƶ’s campus. Over three days, prospective scholars engaged in collaborative activities designed to assess communication, critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership skills while giving students an opportunity to experience ������Ƶ firsthand.

The campus-based format also created new opportunities for family engagement. While students participated in interviews and activities, family members were invited to remain on campus for programming focused on student success, wellbeing, and navigating the college preparation journey. Families learned more about the program’s expectations and connected with ������Ƶ Academy staff in a welcoming and supportive environment.

The redesigned model also expanded participation from university and community partners. Faculty and staff members, ������Ƶ Academy student leaders, College Scholars,�����Ի� supporters joined the process as evaluators, providing prospective Scholars with meaningful interactions while gaining a firsthand understanding of the intentionality behind the selection process. Following the group interview phase, finalists participated in individual interviews conducted at their schools to complete the selection process.

The result was the selection of 30 exceptional students who will comprise the Phi Cohort, officially making it the largest incoming class in ������Ƶ Academy history.

“Expanding to 30 Scholars represents more than a larger cohort size,” said Director Emily Wiersma. “It represents more students, more families, and more futures that will be impacted through the power of education, mentorship and opportunity. As we approach our twentieth year, it is exciting to see ������Ƶ Academy continuing to grow while remaining deeply committed to the mission that has guided us from the beginning.”

In early May, the newest scholars and their families returned to campus for New Scholar Orientation, an immersive introduction to ������Ƶ Academy and ������Ƶ. Throughout the day, students participated in community-building activities, learned about program expectations, explored campus, connected with peers, and began building relationships that will support them throughout their ������Ƶ Academy journey.

Families participated in their own programming focused on building connections, learning about available resources and hearing directly from current Scholars and families about their experiences in the program. The orientation concluded with ������Ƶ Academy’s traditional Honors Ceremony, during which current ������Ƶ Academy College Scholars led students in formally committing themselves to the values and expectations of the program and received honor coins commemorating their official welcome into the ������Ƶ Academy family.

While orientation marked an important milestone, the Phi Cohort’s journey is just beginning.

Next week, scholars will return to campus for Summer Academy, one of ������Ƶ Academy’s signature experiences. During the program, students will live in residence halls, participate in academic enrichment opportunities, build relationships with mentors and peers and gain firsthand experience navigating a college environment. For many scholars, Summer Academy serves as the moment when ������Ƶ Academy truly comes to life – transforming a group of newly admitted students into a supportive community united by shared goals, aspirations, and opportunity.

Members of the ������Ƶ community will have several opportunities to engage with the newest cohort throughout the summer, including the annual ������Ƶ Academy Ice Cream Social. This beloved tradition brings together scholars, families, alumni, faculty, staff, donors and community supporters to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter and welcome the Phi Cohort into the broader ������Ƶ Academy community. Interested guests can .

As ������Ƶ Academy enters its twentieth year, the Phi Cohort represents more than a record-breaking class size. These 30 students embody the promise, potential, and perseverance that have defined ������Ƶ Academy since its founding. Their journey is just beginning, and the ������Ƶ community is invited to join in celebrating, supporting, and welcoming the newest generation of ������Ƶ Academy Scholars.

Before they could create communications campaigns, students in Professor Julie Lellis’ Senior Seminar in Health Communications spent time listening.

They listened to physicians and midwives. They listened to expectant mothers. And they listened to the stories behind the data as part of a partnership with Cone Health’s program that challenged students to address real-world maternal health communication needs.

Those conversations and observations laid the foundation for the students’ semester-long projects. Working with the Cone Health Center for Women’s Healthcare at MedCenter for Women, students developed strategic communications campaigns aimed at increasing enrollment, improving retention and expanding awareness of the program among patients and healthcare providers.

As part of the partnership, students worked directly with healthcare professionals, including Dr. Kim Newton, founder and lead physician of Mom+Baby Combined Care, and Virginia Smith, CenteringPregnancy coordinator. Several students also attended the North Carolina and Virginia Centering Consortium, gaining firsthand insight into the impact of group prenatal care on maternal and infant health outcomes. During Finals Week, students presented their campaigns to Newton and Smith, who visited ������Ƶ’s campus.

CenteringPregnancy is an evidence-based model of group prenatal care that combines health assessments, education and peer support. Research has shown the approach can improve maternal and infant health outcomes while helping reduce disparities in care. At the MedCenter for Women in Greensboro, many participants are covered by Medicaid, and the clinic serves uninsured and underinsured patients throughout the region.

“The ������Ƶ students were a great part of our team,” Newton said. “They took the time to understand and engage with CenteringPregnancy and really captured how the group care feels different and meets people where they are. Their presentations were impressive to say the least and also provided our team with a roadmap for how to ensure our work to expand Centering feels cohesive and genuine.”

For Emmy Beauvais ’26, a strategic communications major with minors in health communications and business administration, the project demonstrated how classroom learning can translate into community impact.

“Participating in the Health Comm Senior Seminar class – and working with Virginia and Dr. Newton – was one of the most meaningful experiences of my time at ������Ƶ,” Beauvais said. “Unlike classroom projects, this project gave us the opportunity to develop and present a real communications campaign for an actual client. We did this through research-backed goals, objectives and strategies, and tangible deliverables that could be implemented in practice.”

Beauvais said attending the regional consortium early in the semester helped shape the team’s work and deepen her understanding of maternal healthcare challenges and opportunities.

“Overall, this experience showed me what it looks like to create work that extends beyond the classroom and truly can make a meaningful impact on a community,” she said.

The course also received a Community Partnership Initiative Grant from ������Ƶ’s Kernodle Center. The grant helped Centering providers purchase educational supplies for participants, while students assembled Baby Go! Bags filled with diapers, wipes, burp cloths and other newborn essentials for expectant mothers.

Lellis, who directs the health communications minor, said the partnership allowed students to see both the personal and systemic dimensions of healthcare communication.

“Students experienced everything from the joy of hearing a baby’s heartbeat to the heartache of exploring the realities of health disparities in maternal care,” Lellis said. “They learned how Centering is changing outcomes and making a direct impact on the lives of pregnant women in our local area.”

Lellis explained that the experience challenged students to translate research and data into actionable communications strategies for a community partner.

“Students learned how to generate insights based on data and turn those insights into creative strategies that inform audiences and motivate them to act,” she said.

The following 120 students contributed 50 or more hours of service through co-curricular opportunities and community-based learning or community-engaged learning courses during the spring 2026 semester:

Lillian Argabrite
Sofia Barnes
Ava Battaglia
Grayce Bechtel
Kate Becksvoort
Metasibya Behailu
Savanna Bell
Rachel Bergman
Sydney Blau
Mary Boyle
Abby Bradbury
Nick Brillo
���𲹳��������Ǵǰ���
Harper Brooks
Keeley Brown
Kaila Burke
Ava Campione
Camille Christeon
Maddie Cook
Sky Covino
Isabelle Cross
Lilly Cyprow
Julia DeGenova
Emma Del Savio
Maggie Dion
Maddy Donner
Paige Douglass
Audrey Drouin-Prou
Emily Ecker
Olivia Evener
Wiley Falter
Jordan Felice
Aidan Fishkind
Cat Gerst
Madelyn Gibson
Anna Grace Gilbert
Cami Glebocki
Mia Glickman
Maddie Goldberg
Daniela Gonzalez
Andrew Gronski
Stella Habashi
Harry Haber
Delaney Hanf
Caitlyn Harris
Ava Heestand
Diego Hernandez
Aileen Humphreys
Ariel Jaklin
Ava Jenkins
Diana Jimenez-Carreno
Cameron Johnson
Lily Karten
Jacob Karty
Abby Kee
Jonathan Kim
Lauren Klappholtz
Veronica Kowalewski
Nick Lachapelle
John Lagarde
Emily Lambert
Will Larkin
DJ Lem
Mari Lilla
Elinoa Loewenthal
Lexi Lopilato
Princess  Lorde
�ѴDZ����������ǰ�����
Abigail Lynch
Ramsay Mansuetto
Edward Massey
Marissa May
Lucy McAfee
Paige Melchiorre
Emily Menjivar
Julianna Millett
Caden Minnich
Lindsey Moore
Quincey Moreland
Anna Morelli
Lucy Morris
�ѴDZ��������ѴDz������
Taryn Mularczyk
Gabriel Nagy
Audrey Nott
Sammy Olesen
Mallory Otten
Allyson Parent
Cassidy Parrish
Sadie Paulos
Elise Peele
���Ի�������ʱ�����
Hannah Peterson
Natalie Plamondon
Paige Postufka
Erin Price
Jackson Quispe
Krissy Randolph
Eden Redmond
Ashleigh Ribe
Anna Rodrigues
Graham Rogers
Allie Rooney
Phoebe Safian
Jackie Salas Rodriguez
Olivia Sandercock
Ella Sarluca
Karrie Scales
Carley Sgueglia
Sara Simpson
Maria Skiedzel
Gracyn Speter
Alex Strassberg
Rahv Tupac-Yupanqui
Kara Watral
Emily Wilson
Amanda Winchock
Alina Wolcott
Jordan Wolfe
Hailey Youngman

These universities are two of many institutions that collaborate and represent FDHE, an international organization that specializes in human-centered design thinking in higher education. The organizers of the FDHE convention are committed to building a community built on exchanging new ideas about design thinking and interdisciplinary work programs.

The concluding day’s activities will be held at ������Ƶ and hosted by ������Ƶ’s Center for Design Thinking and Maker Hub. These activities will include presentations on the long-term values of design thinking, integrating artificial intelligence into the design thinking process and a closing celebration.

In preparation for this three-day-long conference, the Center has been hosting small virtual sessions every third Friday of the month since January called Forging Fridays. These sessions are hosted by various design thinking leaders who focus on emerging strategies, methods and ideas. Participants leave these workshops with strategies that make a significant impact, but are practical implementations in their professional, personal, and civic lives.

There have been four of these sessions so far, This session will feature , who specializes in integrating mechanical engineering with industrial design processes at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Li’s focus within this Forging Friday session will focus on how to identify when and what mindsets will be the most meaningful and transformative to an individual within their design thinking process.

Previous speakers for the Forging Fridays series include , , �����Ի� .

The lead-up to the FDHE convention with these Forging Fridays sessions is replacing the Center’s typical Design Forge convention. These meetings are the Center’s project on gathering design thinking educators, practitioners, and thought leaders to address a topic of interest in higher education, collaboration within the design thinking community, and establishing new opportunities for enhanced student learning.

For more information on past Design Forge topics, a full archive of the conventions since 2018 can be accessed here.

Supported by a grant from Alamance Arts, CREATE (Cultivating Rhythm, Expression, Art, Theatre and Engagement) launched its pilot program this spring with weekly sessions hosted on ������Ƶ’s campus. Over the course of nine weeks, students in second through fifth grade rotated through three artistic disciplines: theatre arts, dance and visual arts. Each discipline was led by experienced instructors who developed an engaging curriculum designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and self-expression.

Briston Whitt ’23 led theatre arts instruction throughout the semester. Whitt, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in acting from ������Ƶ, introduced students to physical expression, improvisation and scene work. By the end of the semester, students could perform short scenes that showcased the skills and confidence they developed throughout the program.

“I absolutely enjoyed working with CREATE as a drama instructor this spring. My favorite part was watching students step further and further out of their comfort zones each week and truly begin to see themselves as actors and performers. Each week they committed to stepping into the imaginary world ���Ի���embodying the courage to try new things no matter how new and silly they felt. It was also really cool to see how involved the volunteers became throughout the process. They fully committed to the activities as well ���Ի���modeled the same courage�����Ի� energy we were looking for in the students,” said Whitt.

“Seeing how immersed everyone became in the experience was such a reminder of the timelessness and magic of theatre,” Whitt said. “It reaches people of every age and has a unique way of bringing us all together. For the students, it created a space to be creative, build confidence, and step outside the box. For the volunteers ���Ի���myself, it was a reminder of the power of play even in seasons of life that can feel more serious.”

Kate Gunter, an art teacher at Woodlawn Middle School, led visual arts instruction for the program. Through lessons inspired by artists including Frank Stella, Claude Monet and Minnie Evans, students explored a variety of artistic concepts and mediums. Activities focused on geometry, symmetry and watercolor painting left students with an improved understanding of how they can advance their artistic skillset.

“Students loved learning about different artists and how they were inspired to create. These insights encouraged our young artists to discover their own inspirations as they emulated the techniques and styles of established artists,” said Gunther.

Furthermore, the program has been able to provide a mentorship experience for ������Ƶ students. With the opportunity to volunteer with one of the disciplines across nine weeks of programming, volunteers fostered connections with the students and worked alongside them at each session.

“I loved working with the students in CREATE,” said Kennedy Williams, a finance and business analytics major and The Susan scholarship recipient in the Odyssey Program who volunteered with the theatre arts program. “It was so rewarding to watch them grow artistically and open up more as the weeks progressed.”

Additionally, several ������Ƶ student organizations partnered with CREATE throughout the semester by leading activities connected to their organization’s mission and artistic focus. Participating groups included Divine Embers, Muses Show Choir, Dance Lab, Alpha Xi Delta, Colonnades Literary and Art Journal, WSOE 89.3 FM, NewWorks and the Yarn Arts Club. Student organizations introduced students to a variety of artistic experiences, from crochet lessons to choreography workshops, and built upon the foundations of the curriculum.

Natalie Dixon ’26, a senior double majoring in dance science and dance

performance and choreography, had the opportunity to lead dance instruction through her involvement with Dance Lab, a student organization focused on integrating dance and STEM disciplines. Through a collaboration with CREATE, Dixon applied her undergraduate research during the session to assist students with understanding different ways they can move.

“I really enjoyed working with the kids through the CREATE program,” Dixon said. “They were all very enthusiastic and open to learning new things, which made the experience especially rewarding. You could tell that the program created a very positive and encouraging environment for them, and it was great to see everyone engaged and excited to participate.”

The CREATE program reflects the Village Project’s mission of strengthening connections between Alamance-Burlington families and ������Ƶ through collaborative learning experiences. The initiative will continue expanding in the coming academic year through a $5,000 Community Grant from the Alamance Community Foundation, which will support future CREATE programming and continue to broaden access to arts education for local students.

Interested in joining the impact? Help support future Village programming .

In Alamance County, the class raised funds for the Al-Aqsa Clinic’s emergency fund, hosted by the Burlington Masjid. Throughout the semester, the scholars organized several restaurant profit-sharing events and other fundraising efforts, generating more than $1,000 in donations. These funds will help the clinic purchase food and personal care items for its Halal food pantry.

The scholars have also continued their partnership with Sarvodaya — Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest non-governmental organization — to promote sustainable and equitable development in rural communities. Working alongside Sarvodaya staff, the students are helping expand consumer markets for locally produced trade goods. Later this summer, a group of scholars will travel to Sri Lanka to continue this work in the country’s south and east, focusing on creating new market opportunities for producers in areas frequently visited by foreign tourists.

The Periclean Scholars Program is a three-year, cohort-based learning experience centered on building mutually beneficial partnerships both locally and globally. As the centerpiece of Project Pericles, the program is dedicated to advancing civic engagement and social responsibility across the university community while also fostering close, supportive relationships among cohort members and faculty mentors.

Undergraduate students may apply to the program during their first year at ������Ƶ. Selected students complete a sequence of academic courses during their sophomore, junior, and senior years, totaling 18 semester hours. The experience culminates in the development of a social justice-focused partnership designed and implemented by the student cohort under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Past and current partnerships have included supporting equitable and sustainable community tourism initiatives in Sri Lanka, producing a documentary focused on lived experiences in Cuba, collaborating with leaders on the Pine Ridge Reservation to strengthen communication and advertising efforts, and partnering with a local organization in Ghana to promote youth leadership and development.

To learn more about the Al-Aqsa clinic and Sarvodaya, visit:  ���Ի���

During the next three years, the Periclean Scholars Class of 2029 will work with faculty mentor Vanessa Drew-Branch, associate professor in the Department of Human Service Studies.

During an event on April 30 in Sato Commons, Drew-Branch, welcomed the Class of 2029 by introducing the cohort’s theme of food sovereignty at ������Ƶ and in St. Kitts and Nevis. Drawing connections between local and global food systems, Drew-Branch encouraged Scholars to think critically about issues of food insecurity, food apartheid, justice, dignity and sustainability. She highlighted how colonial legacies, climate change and inequitable systems continue to shape access to healthy and culturally appropriate food while emphasizing the importance of community-centered, sustainable agricultural practices. Through her remarks, students were challenged to approach this work with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to building authentic partnerships rooted in reciprocity and social justice.

The newly inducted members of the Periclean Scholars Class of 2029:

• Melanie Alarcon
• Katherine Banker
• Autumn Boyce
• Kimara delRosario
• Willow Evans
• Travis Greene
• Simone Lewis-Abdeen
• Mason Marks
• Tia Nelson
• Jazline Rogel Sanchez
• Ally Rotenberg
• Kylie Rukavina
• Gabriella Shew
• Hazel Silverstein
• Shukri Siraji
• Caleb Slosberg

The Periclean Scholars Program provides students with a distinctive three-year educational experience focused on global engagement, interdisciplinary learning and ethical community partnership. Each cohort studies a specific country or region, collaborating with local and global partners to gain a deeper understanding of complex social challenges and develop sustainable, justice-centered initiatives.

Throughout the program, acholars complete 18 semester hours of coursework during their sophomore, junior, and senior years under the guidance of their faculty mentor. Through these courses and experiential learning opportunities, students explore best practices in community engagement, examine the critical distinction between charity and partnership, and learn to approach social change through collaboration, reciprocity, and long-term relationship building.

As the Periclean Scholars Class of 2026 prepares to graduate, the induction of the Class of 2029 reflects the continued legacy of student leadership, ethical partnership, and community-engaged global learning that defines the program.

The 29 students were divided into teams and paired with faculty advisors who guided them throughout the yearlong process.

“These students got this project in August in the form of a two- or three-page document and an email address to contact, and they took it from there,” said Will Pluer, assistant professor of engineering. “They broke down their projects into subsystems and tasks, we had weekly scrum meetings where it felt like only little things were being achieved and eventually those little things turned into mockups in the fall and full prototypes this spring.”

One team partnered with Gilbarco Veeder-Root to improve security measures for gas station pumps that had experienced break-ins. The group added a sensor to the bottom of the machine to alert owners to unauthorized access, reinforced the bottom latch and installed an electrical component designed to preserve data during power outages.

Rahv Tupac-Yupanqui ’26, a mechanical engineering major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, said the project was a thorough culmination of years of coursework.

“We take classes where you do specific projects here and there, and eventually, down the line, it turns out that a skill, or many skills, that you learned on a specific project will help you do larger projects,” Tupac-Yupanqui said.

While students had worked with clients in previous engineering courses, Tupac-Yupanqui said the scale of the project and the level of communication with the company made this experience different.

“It feels like a huge privilege to be able to communicate with a company at such an intensive rate,” Tupac-Yupanqui said. “I’m really glad I got to do it because it gives me a really good perspective on what an engineering company does. Even though no engineering company works the same way, there is always a level of understanding that happens between engineers.”

Another team partnered with Driver Rehabilitation Services to redesign a Sure Grip vehicle driving system for people with physical impairments.

The original system had a “jerking” and rotational movement when pulled to accelerate the vehicle. Students redesigned the mechanism, so it moved back and forth along a single plane.

“Whenever you pulled it back for acceleration, instead of moving in a straight line forward and back, it would rotate a little bit toward the center of your chest,” said Wiley Falter ’26, a mechanical engineering major from Fayetteville, North Carolina. “It’s fine for a driver that has full arm strength, but quadriplegic drivers only have strength coming from their shoulder, and so everyone would push in. It made it really awkward to push it back out, get it back into idle and brake.”

Like Tupac-Yupanqui, Falter said working with a real client was one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

“It was cool to communicate with the engineers who work there,” Falter said. “We all really enjoyed that part the most because it gave you a view into the real world of engineering and not just the bubble of being in college. It was super fun to get really constructive criticism on everything that we did.”

Pluer said the hands-on, client-based experience is what makes the course unique.

“It’s really important for us to give our students real problems to tackle,” Pluer said. “We’re moving out of the classroom into careers, so we give them projects from clients that push them and make them realize that engineering is truly a service industry, serving others through design.”