This past Pi Day, a group of students from the Michigan Tech IPC & Electronics Student Chapter headed to Houghton High School. Senior Katelyn Spolnicki, second year-student Alex Ossenheimer, and third-year Sam Freye spent the day at Superior Makerfest, hosted by Superior Fab Lab. They taught attendees of all ages—some as young as five—the essential skill of soldering.
The three electrical engineering students taught attendees how to solder a mini flashlight. The flashlight kits–—boards, components, and a ruler – multifunctional PCB engineering scale printed circuit board ruler measuring tool—were donated by the Electronics Foundation.
“It was amazing to see people of all ages get excited about learning to solder,” says Katelyn Spolnicki.
“Being part of the IPC student chapter has been one of the best parts of my college experience. It’s given me hands-on experience, industry connections, and a community of people who share the same interests,” she adds.
Her advice to anyone interested in electronics or electrical engineering? “Get involved early, try new things, and take advantage of opportunities like IPC.”
Spolnicki will graduate from Michigan Tech in just a few weeks. In the short term, she hopes to keep encouraging more students to explore electronics on campus. “Long term I want to work in the electronics industry on meaningful projects, and eventually mentor others entering the field.”
“I’m grateful I had the chance to help at Makerfest,” adds Spolnicki. “Events like this really show how fun and welcoming the electronics community can be.”
I really enjoyed meeting all the kids who stopped by our table to learn about electronics assembly and hand soldering,” adds Ossenheimer.
“I’m a relatively new member of the IPC & Electronics student chapter. It’s been a fulfilling and refreshing experience to be a part of this group, to have the chance to experience the different facets of electronics and semiconductor engineering and manufacturing firsthand,” he says. “It’s something I plan to keep doing throughout my time at Michigan Tech.”
Ossenheimer is majoring in electrical engineering with a concentration in photonics. Similar to electronics, which involves the control of electrons, photonics deals with the control of photons in terms of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy.
His advice to a younger person interested in electronics: “Start by experimenting with the plethora of free tools out there—websites like Circuit Lab and Multisim Live for simulating circuits, and CAD software like KiCad for designing PCBs and schematics. YouTube is a good resource, too. A lot of people are making amazing videos on a wide variety of topics related to electronics.”
Whether you’re a student, job-seeker, veteran, or a professional, there’s a place for you in the electronics community. Feel free to reach out to ECE Professor Christopher Middlebrook for more information at the Michigan Tech Electronics Hub for ongoing workforce development opportunities in Michigan and beyond.