Devin Quach // Student Story

Devin Quach (pictured above second from the left) is a Mechanical Engineering Major with a double minor in both Mathematics and Aerospace at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He joins the Quad on our Silver Key project. 

My name is Devin Quach, I’m a Vietnamese American and native to Colorado Springs. This is my second year at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering and double minoring in mathematics and aerospace. My hopes for after college is to work with a company as their product designer. In this type of career, I’ll be working with other product designers to design and create products that solve issues for clients. In the distant future, my main goal is to open my own company where I get to hire other mechanical engineers and designers to solve problems for local industries and markets. Due to my involvement with the Quad and the impact it has had on me, I am starting a new club at UCCS that allows students to develop their 3D modeling skills using a program called SolidWorks. The goal for this club is to be able to take in different local clientele that need product design to solve problems. I want my career after the Quad to involve local impact.

This is my second time working with the Quad. My first experience with the Quad was during this past summer with their summer intensive program. The main reason why I was drawn to the Quad again was that it gave me a chance to work with a group of amazing people, it provides great connections, and it helped me strengthen my communication and networking skills over the summer. Last summer I was a team member on the Silver Key project. This was the first time the Quad worked with Silver Key. We designed a product for them to jump-start a social enterprise business. During that time, the project had four team members. Each team member was from one of the four different higher learning institutions in Colorado Springs. This diversity gave the project a unique insight and also perspectives. I have joined the Quad again for their fall program, continuing my work with Silver Key to help flesh out the ideas created during the summer program.

By working with team members from the four higher education institutions, I have learned more about each institutions background, culture, and mindset. It is amazing being able to meet new people who are different than you and work together to achieve our client’s goals and expectations. The team does consist of four team members but is also closely overseen by Beka Adair, the Quad’s Associate Director, and our project advisor, Kat Miller-Stevens. Their advice and guidance have proved invaluable in moving our project along at a steady pace.

The Quad is a huge asset to the community and for the students who take part in their projects. I have definitely been impacted by their program and greatly appreciate the skills achieved by working with the group as well as networking opportunities provided by them.