IMPACT: The lift was my first experience in formal research competitions. While the Mission required me to present my project to several judges, the Lift required a 15 minute presentation and professional display board. My experiences at NEDC, LISEF and LI Science Congress helped me to develop soft skills as well as hard skills. I had to create an engineering project, but I also needed to work in a group and give presentations to judges and other audiences. While the LIFT received little formal recognition, I learned much from it.

Former Caption: The task for NEDC 2000 was to construct a device that would assist a person with some disability. Myself and 2 partners constructed a device to be used as a lifting apparatus for people with any kind of pain disorder. 80% of people experience lower back pain at some point in their life, so such a device had a large market. We constructed a full scale prototype out of aluminum, and entered it into 3 engineering competitions. We were met with many pats on the back, but little formal recognition. We did, however, gain much experience.