SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) – Students at the Alabama School of Math and Science designed, built and raced two boats at the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center this week as part of a hands-on engineering program.
The students constructed the vessels from scratch over the course of the week. Race day served as the final test of their designs.
Students also toured Austal USA and spoke with professionals working in the maritime industry.
In addition to providing a real-life engineering lesson on what floats and what doesn’t, students say the experience gave them a clearer vision of their futures.
“It has been so exciting to get to learn more about engineering and how much it makes up our world and society,” said Liora Abernathy, a sophomore at ASMS. “Right now, I’m looking at coastal and civil engineering. I want to be able to make the world a better place. I think a lot of what engineers do make up a lot of what we go through in life.”
Alejandro Briones, a junior at ASMS, said the project required collaboration and persistence. “It takes more than just one to build a boat — and it takes a long time but it’s worth the hard work,” he said.
The Maritime Launchpad Pilot Program is funded by the U.S. Navy and organized by the University of South Alabama. Faculty and graduate students from USA’s College of Engineering mentored participants throughout the design and build process.
A program professor said demand for maritime engineers in a port city like Mobile is immediate and growing, which is why the investment in students begins now.
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