Projects

Tijuana Ministries Mission Trips

Every year, my family participates in a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico through Tijuana Ministries. The trips consist of building houses, children programs, teens programs, and mother programs. I have taken on numerous responsibilities over the years such as leading programs for local teens, helping wire the house, and completing small projects on the house. 

Wiring a switch box

In 2012, I worked on wiring the house. I routed the wires though the walls and wired the switches and sockets. I had to learn how to hook up the wires to make sure switches controlled the correct things and the electrical wires moved through the house in a logical manner. That year I also helped with other construction such as wall construction, roof construction, trimming, and drywall. In doing these things, I improved my skills using a chop saw, reciprocating saw, paint sprayer, nail gun, drill, and impact driver. 

Working with children in the community

In 2013, I was asked to organize the teen program for local teens. The program was every morning for a week and lasted a few hours. We organized activities to allow them to have fun and learn new things. We taught them how to sew and make jewelry, and they got to take the pillows and rosaries home with them. We also did arts and crafts such as picture frames and tissue paper flowers to help them decorate their homes. The program also consisted of the option to play soccer outside and a snack at the end of the day. 

Cutting out the door frame

In 2014, I had more experience with construction and was asked to help on a few of the job sites. I took on responsibilities cutting wood to the correct length for studs, cutting out the widows from the wall panels with a Sawzall, measuring and cutting all trimming, installing windows, painting the walls and eves, and helping to install the trusses. 

Engineering Outreach Program

My freshman year at Cal Poly, the Mechanical Engineering department hosted an Engineering Nigh for elementary school students to learn more about Engineering.The idea was to get more kids interested in engineering at a young age. We invited students from schools in the area. 

Propeller Car

My group decided to teach the kids about potential energy using rubber band propeller cars. We only had a short amount of time with each group of kids so we pre-made most of the parts and had the kids assemble them. We gave them the option of how many and what size rubber bands to use. They then wound up the propellers and tested the cars. We talked to the kids and had them think about what might make the car go faster or farther and how they could improve their car. Many of the kids were very excited about the experience and the opportunities to learn more about cars in the future. 

'67 Plymouth Belvedere II

My senior year, I was an Auto Tech class at my high school. In this class, we learned about car systems such as the motor, brakes, carburetor, and wheels. During the lab portion of the class, I took the initiative to start a project on an old Plymouth Belvedere II in the lot. I started the project second semester and continued until graduation. I took the car apart and cleaned it, and as I removed each portion, my teacher explained to me how everything worked. He also had me try to figure out how things functioned and fit together to make the car go. Since it was such an old car that was sitting outside, there was a lot of cleaning and restoration to do. After I took everything out of the car, I had to completely disassemble the engine and clean off each component. We found an old engine block that was the same as the one I took out but much cleaner, so I used that one for the reassembly. In addition to teaching me the inner-workings of a car, this project also gave me experience working on cars and using relevant tools.