Meet Melida Umana Martinez, a mechanical engineering major. Melida joined Frith as an undergraduate lab assistant (ULA) as a sophomore and is now in her fifth year here at Virginia Tech. She will be staying for one more year to receive her masters of engineering in mechanical engineering.

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

Since high school, I've always liked using 3D printers. I did some technical drawing classes too. I really liked them, so I knew I wanted to work in a lab area early on. I also did TSA, which is a Technology Student Association where we do competitions based on CAD models or making different things. I found it really fun, so I knew I wanted to be in a place where I could learn more about tools and equipment. I saw they were hiring from a QR code on the wall in my engineering foundations class, so I applied. I got an email that I was hired, and now I'm here.

What sparked your interest to become a ULA?

I saw the 3D printers in the lab when I was a freshman, and I thought they were really cool. I had one myself in highschool and I really got into it. I knew I wanted to have the opportunity to work with them some more, so that first year really sparked my interest.

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

It was really cool to learn about all the different types of machines. Frith is one of the best places for engineering students to get their hands on machines and actually learn how to use them. I really wanted to deep dive into learning how to use everything. I’ve gone so many times over the years, and I’ve been able to make a lot of really cool personal projects. 

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

I have learned a lot about community effort. All of the ULA’s are really close. It’s been nice to see all of the different types of majors that are brought together which is a lot different than our regular classes. We have a really diverse group of engineering students and some aren’t even in engineering. It’s also really cool to see what kinds of skills other students have and what you can learn from them.

Looking back on your time as a UCLA, how do you think that your role made an impact on the first year students?

I think that me being in their shoes once helps me connect with them. Being able to help them with not only their projects, but with other questions about different paths in engineering. I enjoy being able to share my advice with students and try to help them. Whenever I see someone working on a cool project, I'll ask them, “oh, what are you building? What's your major? What are you planning on doing after your first year of engineering?”

If they say they're interested in mechanical engineering, I start talking about my experiences and asking them if they have any questions about the major that I could help them with. So as a ULA, we're not just there to help students learn how to use the tools, but to learn more about the field in general and everything that the university has to offer.

What will you miss most about being a ULA?

The community always brings me back. I've met a lot of people and being able to talk with all of them every day has been awesome. Also being able to work on my own skills with the machines and learn new techniques has been really cool. Since I'm going to graduate this year, I'm starting to think about what kind of tools I'll need to buy now if I want to make the same projects. I’ve really appreciated having a space that's accessible to students. I will definitely miss the environment and tools the most.

How will you use this experience and implement it into your future career as an engineer?

Since being a ULA, I have been able to add so many things to my resume from the amount of tools, laser cutters, and machines I have learned how to use. It’s really helpful for employers to know that someone they’re hiring has this level of knowledge and exposure with these machines. Every piece of information I have learned while being a ULA is going to be helpful in my career. It has been really great to get this type of exposure early on especially because I am a mechanical engineering major.

Q&A written by Emily Southern, Writing Intern for Engineering Education