Rishi Sripathi

Where do you attend school and what activities are you involved in?

I attend Purdue University, and my major is Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. I currently am a member of Purdue Formula SAE, on the Aerodynamics sub team. I am working in an aero-design role for the aerodynamics package of next year's car. In high school, a club I dedicated significant time to was Rocketry Club, where my team designed and built a rocket to compete in The American Rocketry Challenge.

What have your teaching opportunities been outside of Fairfax Collegiate?

In my freshman year of high school, I joined Humanitas4All, a volunteer organization created by students from my high school. For 4 years, I designed interactive science workshops for younger students from low-income backgrounds, created a summer Geometry curriculum, and did one-on-one tutoring at the local community center. Throughout high school, I also tutored students in Latin as a member of Latin Honor Society.

What sort of experience have you had in the subject you’ll be teaching this summer?

I am teaching 3D Printing this summer, and my first exposure to 3D printing was actually taking this class as a student in Fairfax Collegiate in Elementary School. Since then, I've used 3D printers to create parts as a member of an FTC team in middle school, and I've used the Prusa 3D printers in my high school's robotics lab extensively. At Purdue, I've attended a training session on learning about and using 3D printers as well as the slicing process. I have years of CAD experience as well. For the Biomedical Engineering class I will be teaching this summer, I have taken several biology and chemistry classes and have extensive experience working through the engineering design process.

What excites you about teaching and working with students?

Working with students who are really struggling in a certain subject, it's always exciting and rewarding when we get to that moment of understanding together and they get that "Aha!" moment. However, I get even more excited when working with students, typically younger, who discover their passion and get genuinely excited about learning more in a particular subject. I really enjoy the feeling of opening a door to endless possibilities for a student.

Outside of work, what are some hobbies you enjoy?

Outside of work, I'm a massive sports fan. I watch NFL, NBA, college sports, F1, you name it. I love watching movies, playing frisbee, sim racing with my friends, and cheering on Purdue and the Baltimore Ravens!