Hey guys,
My name is Douglas Hebda and I am a Junior mechanical engineering student with a strong interest in product design work. This opportunity to come to Costa Rica came to me this last semester and I was excited to accept the chance to learn about engineering design in a new context. I had never left the states before, and so this experience was also a chance for me to get out and see the world, which intrigued me.
Flying into Costa Rica I had high hopes for the trip. I knew little about the schedule or day to day plan, but I knew that we would start the trip with an intense four day bootcamp centered around medical device innovation– a sector of product design I haven’t had the chance to explore through the OEDK. The experience was indeed immersive and I was able to share my perspectives and experiences with members of my team, including the Costa Rican university students that were there with us.
At Rice I lean heavily into my strengths in the hand’s on aspects of engineering design, both individually and through my work with Dr. Wettergreen as Lead ENGI 210 TA. Here in Costa Rica, I aim to share the knowledge that I have with the other members of the iSEED cohort, as well as push myself to a higher proficiency in some of the softer skills of engineering design. I know that ENGI 350 will strengthen my observation skills, but additionally I hope to get better at giving and receiving perspectives and ideas with people and in contexts far from my own.
I look forward to seeing where I end up at the end of these four weeks, and hopefully my Spanish improves some too.
-Douglas