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TryEngineering Summer Institute

An exciting ten day, on-campus engineering camp for high school students held at three premier universities across the United States in 2019.

Staff Profiles

Summer Engineering Camps - Staff Snapshots

Our staff is what makes our program so powerful.

All locations feature the same roles:

Program Director: The Director lives on-site and is responsible for everything that happens at camp. Their first and most important job is safety. This is always our primary concern. After that, the Director is accountable to see to it that every single person is having fun. Because we know that when a student is safe and having fun, learning occurs in prodigious amounts.

Residence Life Director: The res life director lives in the dorm and is in charge of everything that happens in the dorms and on campus. The are the bosses of the RAs, they handle roommate and facility issues, they organize and manage the field trips, evening activities, and much more.

Health Director: Our Health Director lives in the residence hall with us and is accountable for the health and well-being of each person. As many as 50% of our students may take meds of one kind or another, so this is a seamless and easy process.

Engineering Instructors: Our instructors are typically grad students or college seniors majoring in an aspect of Engineering, and we like it when they have relevant teaching experience.  We love it when they have attended a summer camp as a youth; then they really understand the opportunity to positively impact students on many levels.

Resident Assistants: RAs live in the dorm to provide 24/7 supervision and safety for the students. Placed in the halls with the same gender, each student has a primary RA they can go to if they need anything. RAs are responsible for delivering the evening activities, accompanying the students when they go anywhere, and for making it fun! If your student needs to do a CVS run, no problem, one of the RAs will go with them, and bring them back (and usually other kids will want to go, and if they get ice cream while they are out, awesome!)

All staff are trained in-person before the program, and all staff are fully background checked of course.


Amanda, Program Director - USD. I have taught in Texas for over 10 years as a middle school and high school Dance Director and P.E. Teacher. I am currently the Event Site Coordinator and Compliance Coordinator on her campus. With years of experience conducting and leading field trips, community events and educational camps for students and teachers, I am  excited to have an opportunity to step into TryEngineering camp as Program Director.  I am married to my husband Ramiro and have 2 daughters. When not working, I enjoy choreographing, swimming, and watching documentaries.  I'm looking forward to making memories and having a great experience this summer with the campers and staff! 

Marie, Residence Life Director,  Rice University 

I am a University of Houston Alumna Go Coogs! I am very passionate about education. I have worked in the classroom, implemented after-school programs, and created curricula for the Harris County Department of Education. During the summers, I enjoy working at summer camps because it allows me to interact with students outside of the classroom and get to know them personally. This is my second year at Try Engineering so I am very excited to meet everyone and hope we have another amazing summer! 

Shane, Health Director, USD

I attend William and Mary University, on the Pre-Med track, studying Neuroscience and Economics. I'm from Northern Virginia but has spent most of his life overseas, most recently having lived in Mexico and El Salvador.  During breaks I volunteer with an NGO in El Salvador focusing on youth development through sports programs. I also play club rugby and am also an avid runner. In my free time I enjoy surfing and all beach-related activities. This will be my first time in San Diego, and I am looking forward to exploring the USD campus and the surrounding areas.

Peter, Teaching Assistant, Rice University

My name is Peter and I am a rising Junior at Rice University. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Design. I also work in Rice's Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) as a Lab Assistant, the same massive modern amazing lab the students will be working in everyday. Outside of class I love to spend my time learning how to play guitar and to listen to some good music.

Rex, Engineering Instructor, Rice University

I am a senior Electronic Systems Engineering Technology major at Texas A&M University. I have been an active member of the Corps of Cadets and the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band since my freshman year.  Throughout my academic career, I have been involved in various projects at A&M, including my senior capstone project that is partnered with NASA.  I am devoted to my field and I am excited to have an opportunity to introduce future engineers to STEM through TryEngineering.

The most rewarding aspect of engineering for me is when I am faced with a challenging project and after persistent efforts, the eureka moment arrives, and I finally succeed in getting it to work.   As a passionate STEM student, I aspire to help others reach the same sense of accomplishment and excitement that I get when I achieve a breakthrough in engineering projects.

 

Meet A Graduate

 


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