archiving the letter that got me into the shop here, because i liked bits of what i wrote:
when i think of who i want to be in my second-year at itp, i think of the purple-aproned folk i looked up to during my first semester.
in my first two semesters, i was a design-lab mentor and a graduate-assistant for physical-computing. i took both of these jobs to support the community at things that i was adept at, because i often lean on others for things that i’m not adept at. both roles also promised informal-teaching, something that i did not want to lose touch with because of my role as a student. however, as i spent more time on the floor, it became evident that the shop-staff were ‘first-responders’ to itp / ima project-crises, and, so, i want to be one of them — right in the thick of things, offering as much support as i can.
my specific expertise lies in electronics (and more specifically in analog-electronics) — something that i quickly became comfortable with in my first semester. i’ve also helped debug many physical-computings projects for various cohorts — even some where the makers had given up at odd times in the night (and i had no experience with the sensors they were using) — and that gives me confidence to apply for a shop-staff position.
perhaps a question-mark for my application is woodworking and the machines. i’m not the best at woodworking, but i know enough to suggest basic solutions & am growing in my own ability (1, 2, 3). however, i am curious, hungry, and quick to learn, as demonstrated by me taking charge of the u.v. printer at the design-lab. once i understand how something works, and put it to practice it a few times, i can navigate the thing independently. and, if something is beyond my abilities or control, i am not ashamed to ask for help (which is better than attempting to proceed with false-confidence).
lastly, i think my favorite shop-staff had certain qualities that i’d like to embody: feeling approachable to ask for help; knowing where things are and what the processes are; genuinely wanting to help people; operating with discipline & rigor; and always knolling.