Left to Right (Above Photo): Boshy Deak, Varun Singhal, Mariella Ticoras, Jordan Booker

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

I wrote a play about coral bleaching called The Waters We Swim In based on what research I’ve done and scientists I’ve talked to. I directed actors in rehearsal, while acting in the piece myself. I also had a scenic design that I created along with a lighting design. I also got to work with a sound designer. Then on November 18^th I had two showings of the play, which I recorded.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

I became less naïve and more resilient. I also have a greater appreciation of the different roles in theatre: sound, lighting, scenic, etc. I had to do most of the roles myself and they are a lot. I became better equipped by the end on how to initially address the actors in the rehearsal space to keep everyone on track with the project and to create an open space. I learned that there should be talking through out because it is stressful since we’re all students with other classes and in other performances. So, this wasn’t the only thing that we were dedicating our time to. I also learned that I can do the things that I put my mind to. I had more on my plate this semester than in any of my previous semesters at Ohio State University. I was Assistant Stage Manager for Bonnets, lighting board operator for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and an actress in Sahar Speaks Dust Allergy. And I also had classes and homework. It was a lot but creating everything for my own show and doing these other things allowed me to understand how it all pieces together for one performance.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

I realized that all the individual jobs in theatre require a lot of time and dedication. I put so much time into every aspect while working on other performances in the Theatre Department, and it was a lot. I also learned more about my directing style, and that one should probably wear one hat at a time, whether that be director or actor… doing both is extremely difficult. I also learned that having a contract with rules for the project at the beginning where everyone agrees to what will be done in the space and how everyone will be treated. Because actors should not try to give advice to other actors because each actor is becoming the character and how the other actors see it in the scene is not completely correct because they cannot see the whole picture. Like the director who is not acting which is why this was so challenging because by me as an actor giving input others thought they could as well… and I should have clarified myself as a director.

I also, learned that not everyone you work with will build you up, and that some people in the field may not necessarily belong in the field. I had some difficulties with one actress specifically and although it is valid for her to feel what she feels sometimes she would tear me down with her words. I’m pretty sure it was not intentional, but I’m definitely glad to be done with that experience.  And although, she made things difficult, in the Theatre Department I was met by so many other individuals who really supported me and helped me when I was beyond stressed. One of the grad students let me into the grad office gave me a hug, and some candy as I just pulled myself together on the couch because I had been crying after the actress had said some very hurtful things towards me.

I at one point wasn’t sure how I was going to put the show on. Problems would arise with the schedule or conflicts with people and I wasn’t sure how we were going to make it happen. Our first rehearsal in the actual performance space was just two days before the actual show. I also had to juggle remembering my lines, building the scenery, doing homework, and other things for other shows I was working on. I couldn’t give it as much time as it deserved, but I still gave it my all. And it was so rewarding to have all the people that I’ve been working with this semester in the crowd giving me their support, and everyone who couldn’t make it, wanted to watch the filmed recording of it. For the first show we were beyond packed and had to bring a dozen more chairs into the room. I now consider myself an actual playwright, director, scenic designer, and actress. Which is, more titles than I planned on ever having.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

I am a Theatre Major. This experience is great for my resume, but also widens the things that I can do. I’ve learned how to step out on a limb and do something that for a moment feels impossible. Looking back, it still feels unreal that I wrote a play and then produced it. I now realize that the main thing I enjoy doing is acting, singing, and dancing on the stage… but I’m able to relate with those who do other things behind the scenes. They put so much time into it, and it really shows. I am excited to someday hopefully soon be in a professional production of theatre where that is my only job. Maybe on Broadway or something. Where my attention is solely focused on that one thing so that I can give it my all and the time that it deserves, while getting paid. I hope to continue making theatre and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

STEP Required Prompts

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

For my STEP Signature Project, I designed and built an FPV (first person view) quadcopter. Over the course of the development of this project I overcame many issues and learned the importance of resiliency in engineering projects.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

As I reflect on the time that I have invested into this project I believe the greatest change during this project is my understanding of myself and how one’s mindset can truly make a difference. While building the FPV drone I had to become proficient in a lot of skills that I didn’t have any knowledge of before this project. As a result of this learning curve I quite often found myself grappling with a new skill such as soldering. Being in Findlay, OH over the summer many of my questions on how to do things were answered over the phone or YouTube videos sent by my network rather than with hands on demonstrations which is how I learn the best. Despite these challenges I remained determined to figure out how to accomplish the feat and take another step towards completing the project. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the magnitude or the difficulty of a problem, but what matters is continuing to work the issue. A common expression we use of someone who accomplished great things is that they moved the mountains; this STEP project has taught me how to move mountains, one shovel full at a time.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

In my pre-reflection document, I wrote that “I anticipate running into quite a few problems on my path through this project” and to be frank, that’s under selling it. I encountered problems at nearly every step of the way from having difficulties finding wiring diagrams of components, to getting sent a defective soldering iron, all the way to have a functioning quadcopter that died when a defective 5v regulator failed on the flight controller. Each issue set me back timewise and, in some cases, added to the final cost of the project but I persevered through each of the challenges.
Facing each of these challenges I took the stance that I will overcome the problem in front of me, and that it’s just a matter of time until I do. I recently volunteered for an outreach program for school kids to experience project management and got to see the impact of this line of thinking play out in front of me. The assignment was to build a paper tower as high as possible with some other constraints. Within the simulated project an issue occurs where one type of paper can no longer be used and must be taken out of any towers that wish to win. Having faced my own challenges building my drone it was fascinating to watch how the teams reacted to the new issue. Some groups gave up while others attacked the problem with renewed determination, with one group that had fallen behind before the simulated problem arose taking first after using the opportunity to approach the tower building in a completely new way.
Success in the college and business world is often associated with talent, but my STEP experience taught me that having the grit to continue in the pursuit of a solution is often more valuable than talent alone. When I first set out on my FPV quad project my goal was to become more confident in my abilities and in the end, I became more confident in my resiliency in the face of adversity.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

In my future I plan on pursuing a design-based engineering role where I will be expected to overcome more than a fair share of issues. Within even my academic career I know I will face problems that I have to work hard to solve. The problems that I faced in this project were challenging and required a lot to overcome but in the end, they taught me that I can and will overcome these problems through my education, experiences and dedication to a solution. Through this STEP project I have grown more confident in my ability to overcome these obstacles with a mix of resiliency and determination.

Extra Project Details

Why wasn’t there any flight footage before May 2020?
In truth the quadcopter was built and would’ve be fully functional, however the 5v regulator was defective on the flight controller and failed during a motor spin up test. This failure allowed battery voltage (>15v) to flow into the delicate circuitry of the processor and destroyed the flight computer and the receiver. I was waiting on replacement parts and I updated this page when I got my build fully operational and when I had edited a full build video and the maiden flight footage. In the meantime between when I posted this original article and when I updated this page I encouraged readers checkout this flight footage of me flying a micro drone called the BetaFPV Pro 2S Whoop Drone.

Flight Footage!

I added this video on after rebuilding the quad after losing the flight controller and the receiver. It includes a time lapse of some of the build, my progression in flying ability, and finally the maiden flight of the quadcopter!

As a comparison, this is a (rather eccentric) professional drone pilot’s flight video showing off the capability of this class of drones:

Drone Build Picture Walkthrough

I use FatShark HDOs with the RapidFire receiver to see what the quadcopter sees.

I use the Taranis X9D Plus to control the movement of the drone.

When it comes to building the quadcopter frame is always built first.

Next all the wires are cut to size to make all the connections possible.

After all the wires are trimmed the building truly begins with a lot of soldering, below is a wiring diagram showing all of the connections. Please click on the photo below to enlarge for easier viewing.

One motor and ESC (electronic speed controller) soldered up.

All four motors properly attached

A final picture of all the wiring attached.

The arrow in this photo is pointing to the then unknown to me faulty 5v regulator that caused the flight controller failure.

For more pictures and a full part list see https://rotorbuilds.com/build/23063. This site updates the prices of the items so the price reflected on the site will vary. In total I spent about $500 on equipment that actually flies with a total price-tag for all of the equiptment at around $2,300.

Ultimately I have had a ton of fun along the way with this project and learned a lot both about the world of electro-mechanical systems as well as a lot about myself. Thank you all for reading.

My STEP Signature Project was a customized desktop computer build.  The main components to this project included researching computer parts, budgeting the parts, and actually buying the pieces in person.  After this, the main part of the project was to assemble to pieces into a running computer suited to a coding/development environment.

My STEP Project not only allowed me to learn about hardware, but it helped to further understand myself.  Prior to this project, everything I had built or assembled was quite easy.  I didn’t feel the need to follow instructions.  Building this computer, however, was much more difficult than anything I had encountered.  Through this project, I discovered that I am capable to designing and building my own complex electronics, something I would have never saw myself doing as a kid.  I learned to follow my interests despite the challenges they present.

I also learned to perform a job similar to one an engineer might face.  I was given a budget, and had to plan which computer parts I would use to best suit my needs while remaining in the price range.  This caused me to do much research on computer parts, computer operating systems, and all other customizable options.  After deciding on which options I desired, I had to design the layout of my assembly and then put everything together.  After this, I had to troubleshoot some minor issues.  The whole process was similar to a real engineers, and this experience allowed for me to see what my future career may entail.

My project would have been much more difficult had my peers not assisted me.  A very close friend of mine who is pursuing a career in Electrical and Computer Engineering aided me throughout the build.  He was very knowledgeable and experienced with building computers, and his skillset helped teach me some basics.  Aside from this, my step advisor helped me very much.  Most of last year, I had an entirely different plan for my project.  My faculty advisor helped me to think of this project, and he also guided me in following my interests.

The actual process of the assembling the computer was an experience that I will always appreciate.  Had I not been given this opportunity by Ohio State, I most likely would have never build a desktop.  This helped me to be grateful of my resources, as well as take advantage of them.  The experience of planning, building, and problem solving gave me a glimpse of a career in engineering.  I enjoyed the whole process, as I like to problem solve and create/design things.

Another great aspect of my STEP project was learning Linux.  In engineering, Linux is very important, especially for making and managing servers.  This build, once running, allowed me to learn Linux command line, as well as taught me more about how computers, and systems in general, work together.  This skill will be very useful in the engineering career I am pursuing, and is something I am also passionate about.

Looking at the entire project process as a whole, I have recognized its importance to my life.  This project gave me real life experience of applying what I had learned in the classroom.  This hands-on experience is highly valuable. Additionally, my project allowed me to have a great coding environment for developing whatever I desire.  This is helpful in creating my portfolio, which will in turn jumpstart my career.  Learning to branch out and use my resources was also very valuable to my future career goals.  In retrospect, the project was an incredible learning and problem solving experience.