Meet Audrey Finch, a construction engineering management major. Audrey joined Frith as an undergraduate lab assistant as a junior and will be moving to Orlando to work for DPR Construction as a project engineer. 

How did you find out about the Frith First-Year Makerspace?

I lived in Hypatia hall for two years, and the second year I worked in the engineers lab and did similar things that we do in frith: laser cutters, woodworking, and all that stuff. I really enjoyed that but I didn’t want to stay in Hoge. So I looked for similar jobs, and Frith is the exact same thing but cooler. It’s a bigger space, and I love all of the people I work with. 

What was it about Frith that kept you there so long?

The continuity of work was great, I didn’t want to find a new job. Our boss, Nick Bedard, is literally the best, he's so easy-going, and you're able to create your own projects at your own time. 

Are there any memorable moments or lessons that you learned from the Frith lab that you can apply to everyday life?

Definitely the biggest thing that I’ve learned from the Frith lab is that you're allowed to make mistakes. I have plenty of mistakes – one time a laser cutter made a sound and I had to hit the emergency stop button. But everything was fine, my boss came over and showed me how to learn from that. 

What will you miss most about being a ULA?

The interactions I’ve had with the other ULAs. They are so smart which is inspiring, and they never hesitate to help me around the lab if I need help with a project. The community in the Frith lab is just so special. I’ve seen first-year students get closer working on their 1216 project. People who are so different but working on the same project, you can see friendships forming which is very cool to watch.

Looking back at your time as a ULA, how do you think your role made an impact on first-year students?

There are some freshmen that are nervous to ask questions while others will ask question after question. I do enjoy helping them with their projects and leading them in the right direction. However, I want to keep my impact kind of minimal so I can let them make mistakes and learn on their own.

How are you going to use this experience to implement it into your future career?

The Frith lab and the Hypatia engineers lab have definitely helped me love woodworking. Spring semester junior year, I made a shelf! Creating with my hands was amazing, and I want to continue doing that. Frith taught me how much I love working with my hands, and I’m excited to continue that in my career in construction engineering management. 

Q&A written by Megan Reese, Writing Intern for Engineering Education