Engineering club Co-Presidents Shamith Murthy, Oleksandr Rabochii and Dotan Dana have been hoping to expand the club this year by offering students a chance to explore electronics and problem-solving in a fun and collaborative environment.
They were motivated by a simple desire to help others get into STEM.
“The subject is very interesting and broad, and there are a lot of people who don’t take many STEM classes at school,” Murthy said. “We wanted to give them an opportunity to try it out and hopefully gain an interest.”
According to Rabochii, they started the club to get more students excited about electronics and STEM by working on hands-on projects together.
The engineering club gives students a chance to do things they might not get to do in regular classes.
“Sometimes we look at YouTube videos or try to recreate stuff we see every day, like a small screen or a digital clock,” Rabochii said.
Members can help choose what projects the club works on, so they stay engaged and interested.
Some of the projects the club has worked on include building a digital piano using an Arduino microcontroller and fixing a broken lightsaber toy by re-soldering its connections. They’re even working on designing a Rubik’s cube-solving robot using 3D printing and laser cutting.
“It’s a work-in-progress machine that automatically solves a Rubik’s cube just by looking at it,” says Rabochii.
More recently, club leaders have shown members to use a potentiometer, a small electronic device used in a circuit to control voltage.
The club isn’t just about having fun—it also teaches important engineering skills.
Engineering teacher and club adviser Brian Hill focuses on problem-solving as a key part of his classes.
“Mr. Hill’s class teaches students basic circuits and soldering while also involving lots of problem-solving.”
Murthy explains that the club has helped him improve his communication skills.
“Mostly, I’ve learned teaching skills and being able to break down complicated ideas to more digestible pieces,” he said.
This is an important skill when working with electronics, where every part must work together to create a functioning device.
Rabochii also stresses the importance of taking ideas and turning them into reality using problem solving skills
“Every single circuit and device requires you to figure out how to make it,” he said. “Also, being able to recreate your idea or design in real life is a crucial step in engineering that [students sometimes forget about].”
One of the best things about the Engineering Club is that it’s open to students of all skill levels.
“We focus on hands-on projects, and we assign members tasks that match their ability, while still contributing to the success of the project,” Murthy said.
Teamwork is a big part of the club. Dana explains that the collaborative projects allow students to help each other learn.
“We encourage older members to help newer members whenever possible. It frees us up to organize the project while allowing them to develop their skills,” he said.
For students thinking about a career in STEM, the engineering club is a great way to gain real-life experience. Members learn skills in circuitry, coding and how to use tools like 3D printers and laser cutters.
“We teach [club members] basic electronic principles, such as how to manipulate voltage, current and resistance,” Dana said.
Rabochii adds that the skills students gain can be useful beyond the club.
“In addition to forming friendships and building cool devices, students are learning real-life skills that are helpful in repairing technology, as well as making it,” he said.
These skills will also be helpful for students who want to join the robotics team, pursue technical training or go into STEM fields after high school.
The club meets on Thursdays after school in Mr. Hill’s room.
Looking forward, the co-presidents hope to keep growing the club and helping students create more projects.
“Our goal this year is to enable students to be creative and make cool projects,” Rabochii said.
The club has already helped foster a love for STEM at BHS.
“Try it out, you might like it. We welcome everyone,” Murthy said.
