Long-Time FabLab Student Employee Graduates with Unexpected Tools in His Belt

Samuel Law, University of Texas at Arlington class of 2021, was working toward his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering when he joined the FabLab more than two years ago.

“My wife had just finished up her master's degree and I was looking for a change of scenery from my old job,” Law said. “Looking at the Fablab, there seemed to be significant upside in terms of learning new skills, such as 3D printing, CNC milling, laser cutting, and more.”

The job exceeded Law’s expectations—in his time as a student assistant, he gained nearly a dozen transferrable skills from the FabLab, and even discovered some interests he otherwise would not have known to pursue.

“Student workers like Sam leave our employ with a wide variety of transferrable skills like critical thinking, lateral thinking, and problem-solving,” said Eric Olson, FabLab Technician and Law’s supervisor. “Students like Sam who volunteer to work on special projects also gain valuable experience in how the design process works and how to both manage your time well and stay disciplined during the less-enjoyable parts of them.”

Olson says students like Law also learn skills such as utilizing multiple platforms for CAD design, laser/vinyl cutting, and other CNC-operated tool usage, and how to incorporate the limits of a tool and design a project to stay within them.

“We also hope they use the creativity and versatility of the space to explore new sides of themselves and discover more of who they are,” Olson said.

For Olson, the exchange of education goes both ways.

“There is always a give and take between myself and the employee working on a special project, and we are grateful for the opportunity to both teach our student employees, learn from their efforts, and to see what they are capable of when given the space to bring their concepts to a working end product,” Olson said. “Sam has been a valuable member of our team for many years now, and we can’t wait to see what he does next.”

Law’s student experience was shaped by working at the FabLab, which is housed on the first floor of UTA Libraries.

“My supervisors were experienced in both hardware and software prototyping, thus when I got stuck, I had people to turn to for help beyond my professors or TAs,” Law said. “In addition to improving my results in class, working on special projects at the FabLab provided opportunities to apply what I was learning in my upper-level engineering classes.”

The new graduate had just one piece of advice for current Mavericks who are considering applying for positions in the Libraries.

“Work at the FabLab,” Law said. “It's a great experience; you won't regret it.”

Now that he is on the cusp of his next steps, which include continuing his education as a non-degree-seeking student, Law is thinking about what he will miss most about the FabLab.

“[It’s] the full-time staff,” he said. “They're great people, and I have a lot of respect for their ability to put together such a quality work environment.”

Students interested in applying to work in the FabLab (or elsewhere in the Libraries) can see all open positions in HandShake.