How a Class Requirement to Use the Makerspace Helped Me Think Big and Set New Goals

By Ashley Tamori

While finishing up my last semester at Butte College, I enrolled in a 3D foundation class that’s a requirement for my Interior Architecture degree. Our first assigned project was to create a three-dimensional piece revolving around “clan identity,” and a class requirement throughout the semester was to use the college makerspace, the Create Space Maker Lab. I had originally heard about the makerspace in a previous class, but I never had the opportunity to use the facility because we didn’t need it for class.

I wasn’t quite sure what the makerspace was at first or what it had to offer, but I remember occasionally walking by and peeking inside to see what people were making. It was always so cool to see students making projects, but I didn’t quite feel like I had a reason to make something there yet. Our instructor scheduled a tour of the makerspace and showed our class that we could use any of the resources available in the space in our projects. While we were touring, I felt so inspired.

When we returned to class, I sat down and started to draw out my design to figure out which pieces I needed to use the makerspace for in order for my project to become what I envisioned. After I worked out my project on paper, I figured out the dimensions and design and was ready to try out the tools in the makerspace. When I finally walked over, I was initially intimated seeing everyone using the machines because I didn’t even know where to begin, let alone how to use the machines.

Seeing the Potential

I sat down at a computer and looked around for help, kindly asking one of the staff members for help using the machines since it was my first time. Without any hesitation, they walked me through the process of how to use the Epilog laser cutter and how to configure my design using the program. As I watched my design go from the computer to being etched on the wood, I remember thinking, “Woah, this is amazing!” The thought that an idea that I came up with could appear before my eyes was inspiring. That moment is when I realized how beneficial the makerspace could be to me and how I could continue to implement my own ideas and creations into anything I wanted to make.

While I was waiting for my design to be etched, I showed my design sketch to the art department director, Daniel Donnelly, and he recommended that I submit my piece to be considered for the CCC Maker MakeShift Makerspace Ecosystem Summit in Irvine, California. To be honest, I originally had no clue what I was submitting my piece to because I didn’t have much knowledge and background about the makerspace itself. When my piece was selected to represent Butte College at the CCC Maker summit, I was shocked and excited to know that something I created was being recognized. I learned that over 50 students had submitted their creations and only 12 were chosen.

I grew up in a small town where there weren’t a lot of opportunities to put myself and my work out there, and here I was about to head to Irvine to talk about my piece and how the makerspace helped me create my idea. When I arrived to the event, it was much bigger than what I was expecting. From meeting fellow makers to exploring Orange Coast Community College to sharing my creation and thoughts about the makerspace, I realized that I had found myself immersed in a community full of innovative people who all share the same passion for creating and making things as I do. It was surreal to think that using the makerspace for the first time would lead me to this opportunity to discover what this amazing community of makers is trying to establish for students.

Exploring Possibilities

Overall, I was able to take away a lot from using the makerspace and from the summit in Irvine. Driving home from the airport in deep thought, my mom looked over at me and asked what I was thinking about. With passion in my voice, I told her, “After everything I was able to experience through the makerspace and at the CCC Maker summit, I realize I’ve been thinking small this whole time, and that there’s so much more I can do and create. I need to think bigger!”

After I got home from my trip, I got out my sketchbook and started jotting down ideas that came to mind. I thought about how I could incorporate everything I learned into designing furniture and starting my own business. For the first time, I began to have an entrepreneurial mindset and wanted to keep designing and creating things. As an interior architecture major, I realized how I could implement the makerspace into my own educational and career goals. I could make house models, and bring my furniture ideas from concepts to real life. I’ve already started to sketch out a few chair designs for my next personal project to help get me ready for the furniture design class I’ll be taking next spring.

It’s amazing to see how the makerspace has impacted and inspired me in such a short time along my educational journey. My only hope is that we continue to see the makerspace expand and impact more students. Everything I took away from the makerspace has helped me become a better maker and to think bigger.

This article first appeared in the CCC Maker publication titled “Makerspace Impact: Implementation Strategies & Stories of Transformation” (2019).