When class finishes and many rush out of their learning studios and flood the Zachry Learning Stairs, the vast majority of students simply breeze past the most impressive part of the building. No, not Starbucks — the SuSu and Mark A. Fischer ’72 Engineering Design Center (FEDC). I admit, I enjoy the more-than-occasional caffeine rush that the world’s largest coffee company provides in our very walls, but spending time in the FEDC has provided a greater, more sustaining “rush” throughout my years in the College of Engineering.

I saw before me an incredible opportunity to create, innovate and develop hands-on skills.

My first true FEDC experience, other than observing the ornate 3D prints in the windows, was taking a pop-up woodworking class during the first semester of the new Zachry’s existence. Through the safety training and the subsequent facilities tour, I saw before me an incredible opportunity to create, innovate and develop hands-on skills.

Of course, during my various mechanical engineering classes and labs, I’ve been required to spend hours upon hours in the FEDC, developing scissor-lift parts on the available bench lathes and knee mills. And while I’m sure the majority of my peers would rather have rushed through and moved onto their evening plans or their next assignment, I was content standing in the shop, safety glasses over my real ones, waiting my turn to try out a new machine.

Having access to the FEDC has been one of my favorite parts of being an undergraduate student in the College of Engineering. Because, let’s face it, sometimes you need to step away from the computer, away from Zoom and work with your hands. Whether you’re in your first semester or your last in College Station, I encourage you to take a walk in the sunshine, imagine something you would enjoy creating and use the tools available in the design center to bring that idea into reality.