Ever since attending a build event with his family in February, Ethan has been a dedicated Makers Making Change (new window) volunteer.

“I had a lot of fun during the event, and I wanted to see if I could do more afterward,” says Ethan, who recently finished grade 11, and has a passion for STEM subjects in school.

Initially, he started out taking parts home and assembling devices on the weekends. Then, he started doing quality control on some of the adapted toys made at toy hack events — not every device comes out perfect — by taking apart the toys, finding the problem, and ultimately fixing them.

“I’ve done a bit of coding in school, and it was kind of the same when you write out a program and it doesn’t work at all. You have to try to find out what’s wrong with it,” he says. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is problem solving and troubleshooting.”

Since he started volunteering, he got a 3D printer, and has been learning how to use it. Ethan recently answered a device request for a pen ball, getting to practice his 3D printing skills and make a device directly for a person in need.

“It was really rewarding knowing that the thing I was making was going to someone who would be using it,” Ethan says.

While Ethan’s always had an interest in engineering, he says volunteering has given him a clear goal going forward.

“I’ve never really known about what I want to do in the future until [volunteering with] Makers Making Change,” he says. “Right now, I think I’m 100% sure I want to study engineering after high school.”

He has switched some of his courses for the coming school year, adding a drafting course and an electronics course to continue pursuing his newfound interests.

Ethan has also begun to teach himself how to use AutoCAD using YouTube videos, as he continues to learn more about 3D printing.

“That’s been a pretty fun experience so far, which I really wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for Makers Making Change.”

This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.