TAYLOR KELLER
February 25, 2019

Taylor Keller

COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

About Taylor

Taylor and his teammates are working on the Adaptive Mountain Bike Challenge. The goal of this challenge is to provide the Challenger, an injured Highway Patrol Trooper, with a quality recumbent mountain bike, capable of meeting all of his needs and able to navigate a single-track triathlon course.

Question & Answer


Why did you choose your major? Growing up with an imaginative mind for design, I have always enjoyed crafting and building different things. Progressing through high school, this same passion translated into different hobbies such as woodworking and mechanical tinkering, but I had yet to decide which career path best suited me. After high school, there was an overpowering pressure to choose a path for my life and so I joined the United States Army.


After spending three years serving at Fort Carson and overseas, my experience brought me to the realization that the Army was not the career path that best aligned with my true passions. Towards the end of my military contract, I started looking through the extensive list of majors at the local universities in Colorado and settled on Mechanical Engineering. Currently, in my senior year, I can say with 100% confidence that I have chosen the right major. I have most enjoyed the assignments that involve problem-solving and inventing better solutions to everyday needs.

Describe your experience working with QL+ so far.  What is the biggest challenge?  What has been rewarding?  What has been most rewarding?  Approaching our second month working with QL+ and engaging with our Challenger, I can confidently say our team appreciates the support and flexibility QL+ brings to the table.  Initially, QL+ provided the groundwork to get us started and as we enter the prototyping phase, our team can focus more on design and the Challenger knowing the financial support is there.

The biggest challenge of this project is the timeline. Our goal is to provide the Challenger a fully functioning prototype in 4 months so that he can compete in the Xterra triathlon and qualify for the World Championship. With the help of QL+, our team is ready to tackle this challenge head-on and help make the life of an inspiring and strong man a little better.  

What would you say to other students about QL+?  QL+ is an organization that always puts its best foot forward. They pair up groups of engineering students with Challengers to bring passion and innovative solutions into the lives of those who have given so much for their country.

What are your plans after graduation? After I graduate in December 2019, I plan to secure a job within the field of design and manufacturing. Going to work every day doing something you love is priceless. In addition, my wife and I plan to stay in Denver and start a family.

What has been the proudest moment of your college career? Over the past four years, many amazing things have happened, some challenged me, and others rewarded. One specific instance stands out in my mind and that is the completion of a semester-long project, we called “Nite Ray”.  This project took place during my first semester at Colorado School of Mines and introduced me to a world of new concepts and more importantly an amazing group of fellow students.  I would not be where I am today without the help and support of these individuals

What three words best describe you? Creative, Driven and Patient


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