NEWS & EVENTS |
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Contact: Amy Hewes ME Student Service Learning Project Earns Award for Cal PolyNonprofit VTC Enterprises in Santa Maria recently named Cal Poly Business/Industry of the Year as a result of a service learning project undertaken by mechanical engineering students Paula Gijon and Chittayong (Jao) Surakitbanharn. 
VTC Enterprises provides vocational, employment, rehabilitation, social and advocacy services for both youth and adults with disabilities. The agency has partnered with Cal Poly Engineering as a service learning "client," providing real world project opportunities for students. Under the direction of faculty advisor Dr. Jim Widmann, Gijon and Surkitbanharn designed and built a device to help persons roll silverware into napkins for restaurants. Their work also earned a NISH National Scholar Award, which recognizes the design of devices to improve access to the workplace for persons with disabilities. # # # Photo caption: Faculty advisor Dr. Jim Widmann (left), Jao Suakitbanharn and Paula Gijon watch a VTC client use their napkin roll device. |
Holly
Huynh
Electrical Engineering
2007
“My path to Cal Poly is a little unusual. I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand.”
When I was two, we moved to Rosemead. Since I was so young, I don't remember the challenges my parents faced, but it was very tough. I've always been interested in electronics. I remember my father was trying to fix a microwave oven and I was amazed by all of the wires. Later in high school, I took an aptitude test and the result was 'electrical engineer.' That, lucky for me, sparked my interest in Cal Poly. |
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