For this month's newsletter, the Wond'ry celebrates our graduating students.  Whether they participated in one of our incredible extracurricular programs like the Vanderbilt Innovation Fellowship or the IMPACT Program; whether they took courses in our new Minor in Innovation and Design Strategy; or whether they were employed at the Wond'ry as maker techs in the Wond'ry Makerspaces, we have been so proud to assist these students in their innovation journeys.  As they ready themselves to move forward into the next phase of that journey, we honor these graduating students by providing space for them to talk about their Wond'ry experiences.

"Working at the Wond'ry truly changed the course of my college career. Here, I have met the most incredible community of friends and mentors, and sharing my passion for making and design with others has been a true gift. This has been the best place for me to embrace my 'I'll figure it out' mindset among a diverse but equally motivated set of individuals."

- Ashley Yau, B.S., Human & Organizational Development

"The Wondry has given me the hands on experience I had been looking for to finish rounding out my skills. Not only has it allowed me to become a better electrical engineer but has also challenged me to increase the scope of my competency in fields outside my comfort zone. Without a doubt, joining this team and learning to use the resources in the space has been one of the most influential decisions I've made throughout my four years here at Vanderbilt."

- Diego Oliver, B.E., Electrical and Computer Engineering

"Being a part of the Wond'ry throughout college has been my most treasured and rewarding experience at Vanderbilt. The level of innovation and dedication that surrounds the different maker labs push me to work hard to think outside traditional methods, from making clothes out of fabric scraps to designing a sustainable casket in my 'How to Make Almost Anything' course."

- Joanne Ying, B.S., Cognitive Science

"The Wond’ry has become a second home for me on campus. What I value most is the family that we’ve built here. Everyone has found community through making; this sense of collaboration has made it a joy to be a part of the makerspaces. All the skills I’ve learned (from mechanical prototyping to expanding accessibility in the fashion space) have naturally emerged from being a part of the Wond’ry."

- Trieu Vy Truong, B.S., Human & Organizational Development and Computer Science

"Working in the Wond'ry has given me the chance to combine teaching and education with making and STEM in ways that have really clarified my career goals and personal fulfillment. It's made me not only want to run Makerspaces in schools I work at in the future, but feel confident enough in my skillset to do so. Enabling the design and prototyping processes of others while constantly learning and making gadgets of my own has been a truly wonderful part of my Vandy experience!"

- Luke Balmer, B.S., Educational Studies, History, and Computer Science

"The Vanderbilt Innovation Fellowship at the Wond'ry has been eye-opening, and I wish I had found it earlier in my undergraduate career. VIF’s model of approaching problems from an interdisciplinary perspective brought together lots of people with different ideas, and it was great working in such a dynamic environment. Having real-world industry collaborations was also very important to me when I was looking for extra-curriculars because I wanted to get experience working with stakeholders on impactful issues."

- Vincent Xu, B.S., Human & Organizational Development and Economics

"The Wondry has been an outlet for me to freely express myself on campus. Through the Wond’ry, I’ve been able to improve myself socially, creatively, and professionally through various programming here. I’m incredibly grateful for all the friends I’ve made through its spaces and plan to continue pushing my limits in my future creative pursuits."

"The Wondry has allowed me to explore several different disciplines and build confidence as a maker. The projects I was involved with in collaboration with the medical center and other labs were priceless experiences and directly impacted my trajectory after graduation."

- Paige Givens, B.S., Human & Organizational Development and Mathematics

"Working at the Wond’ry has been a great opportunity for me to build community with people from many different disciplines who share the same love for making as me. I’ve found so much joy in sharing my passion of sewing with so many students, and I’m thankful for the teaching skills that I’ve gained from this opportunity!"

- Allyria McBride, B.A., Environmental Sociology and Communication of Science & Technology

"Even after three years working at the Wond'ry, I am still constantly surprised by the variety of projects I have made and seen other students make. Every moment working here has been an incredible learning experience, and I wouldn't change any of it!"

- Sawyer Bryce, B.E., Mechanical Engineering

Class of 2026!

Offices
Monday-Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm

Makerspaces

May:  By appointment only
June-August: Monday-Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm

By making your tax-deductible gift to our Student Innovation Fund, you help us provide students with the funding they need to turn their ideas into reality. Donate here.