Meet Marissa Sluss, a mechanical engineering major. became an undergraduate lab assistant as a sophomore, and is now a senior about to graduate from Virginia Tech. After college, Marissa will be working at the Hershey Company as an associate engineer. She’ll be doing things like process work, CAD work for equipment, contractor communication, and more. 

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

Spring of my freshman year, I took a class called “Industrial Design” with Dr. Butler, who was the lab director at the time. As part of our class assignments, we had projects where we had to make physical models of our designs. Dr. Butler used one of our class periods and had us come to the Frith lab and train on all of the equipment: wood shop, 3D printers, laser cutters. I think that’s what got me started, that introduction from Dr. Butler. 

All of the ULAs were super nice and helpful, and I loved being in there. It got to the point where I would just go in there to do homework. So, in the fall of my sophomore year, I came back to the lab and told them I was interested in being a ULA. At that point they didn’t do fall hires, so I was the only one.

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

What really kept me there was all of the ULAs, they were so nice and understanding. All of them had their own personal projects they were working on which was so cool to watch. They really inspired me to be there, learn more, and do my own projects.

As my career at the Frith lab went on, we got new lab management, specifically Nick Bedard. He’s done so much for the lab. We got so many new upgrades, he’s really transformed the lab. It’s been really nice to not only see that transition, but be a part of it. 

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

First and foremost, all of the technical experience I’ve gained. Walking in as a freshman, I didn’t know much about the machinery. Working there and continuing to be there has really helped my confidence in all those technical skills. I for sure know how to use this equipment and I’m able to better help other people learn how to use it.

A lot of times I’ll be on shift, talking to the new hires and they’ll ask for a recommendation with a project. I get to show them all of the shortcuts I’ve learned over the last few years. 

What will you miss most about being a ULA?

The people. It’s something that I love about Virginia Tech in general, but definitely the Frith lab. All of the ULAs are great, they’re all so passionate about the projects they’re working on, there are rarely any issues between us. I love that everyone comes to work with personal projects, but are happy to share their experience with everyone else, and give pointers. That kind of community we have developed over the years has been really nice. We’ve really worked on becoming more a team rather than just coworkers. We have movie nights, do potlucks, and listen to music while closing the lab.

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

To be honest, I don’t think any of them will remember my name, which is fine. I do hope my time in the Frith lab has impacted all of the students I’ve helped. Even those little pointers about things like “here’s how to use the laser cutter in a way that will make your project easier.” When I’m walking around during my shift, asking them about their projects and if they need any help, I hope that boosts their confidence in coming to the frith lab and makes the ULAs a bit more approachable. 

I also hope I could inspire a few of them to pursue their own personal projects, by watching me work on mine. 

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

The best thing I can draw from this and use in my future career is the training aspect. Being in a position where me and my coworkers are managing the lab, and making sure everyone knows how to use the equipment and use it safely. Making sure everyone is following the rules of the lab, and being safe and respectful of each other's space and time. So that’s probably something I’ll take from this experience: being that leader who is aware of everything that is going on, and being able to communicate and train people for those situations.

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