Morgan Mosco is the Director of Public Relations for the QL+ Student Chapter at Virginia Tech. She is a Freshman, expected to graduate in May 2024. Morgan intends to declare a major in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Computer Science. Morgan worked on the Gym Hand Project. For this project, the Chapter updated and assembled a design for a prosthetic hand for a disabled veteran. The veteran needed the device so that he can properly use fitness equipment at the gym.
Question & Answer
Why did you choose your major? I chose mechanical engineering because I truly enjoy the process of designing and building things. I also enjoy math and science and believe that ME would be the best path for these skills.
Describe your experience working with QL+ so far. I worked on Ben's Hand Project, which designed a hand that would contract and picks up objects for a local student, and I am currently working on a newsletter regarding this project. The most difficult thing for me has been learning about the scope of the project, and abiding by the requirements that must be fulfilled to make the best result for the challenger. However, it is a very rewarding process, and seeing the videos of Ben receiving his hand was very fulfilling for me.
What was it like working with your Challenger? Did you learn anything from this experience? Personally, I really enjoy meeting and getting to know each challenger, as it puts what we are doing into perspective, and gives us every reason to work towards the best results. It is also important to get to know our challengers as we can customize certain aspects of the design to tailor to their preferences. For example, we painted Ben's hand gold, to make it look like the Infinity Gauntlet from the Avengers movie. This also gives our chapter insight on what questions and information we should gather prior to designing and assembly.
What would you say to other students about QL+? Even though a lot of what we do is related to the biomedical field, our team would love new members from all majors and ages. The most important aspect to our group is not how much you know when you start, but how much you're willing to learn and the effort you put forth. We have had great team members in all fields and in all engineering disciplines. I joined as a freshman in general engineering and I didn't have much experience, but I learned that if you are willing to learn then you can contribute in all sorts of ways, even if they are unconventional.
What are your plans after graduation? After graduating, I currently plan to go to graduate school to get a master's in Computer Science or an MBA.
What has been the proudest moment of your college career? The proudest moment of my college career was my acceptance into my major at Virginia Tech. As freshmen, all engineering students begin their studies as general engineers. We learn many foundational courses and explore each of the degree-granting programs during that time. At the end of our first year, we apply to the programs that interest us the most. I was extremely proud of myself for focusing on my studies to receive my first choice major.
List three ways you have changed as a person, student, and future engineer since working on this project. This project has made me more responsible since as a board member, I am more involved with the outreach and planning for the project. I have had to learn how to manage my time, and the added responsibilities have allowed me to become a more assertive and confident person. QL+ SC @ VT has also helped me develop interpersonal skills, as much of what I am doing revolves around communication, whether it is recruiting fellow engineers from my dorm (I live in a living-learning community for engineering students) or reaching out to the challenger. I am also very thankful for the workshops that the club has been putting on this year, as well as the team leaders and upperclassmen who have taken the time to teach me many skills. For example, we recently hosted a workshop on FEA, which is important for this upcoming Gym Hand design. While I am far from mastering the topic, I understand how to use the SolidWorks programs to do a proper FEA, and I understand the topic conceptually as well.
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