Mouse Student, BSGE, Queens
Mouse Digital Portfolio: 1derphone, Joy to the Key
Apprenticeships: Dazzling Discoveries, PASE
What interested you in joining Mouse?
Malcolm joined Mouse in 7th grade at his school Baccalaureate School for Global Education (BSGE). He was always interested in technology and after receiving his first computer, he thought Mouse “would be a great opportunity to go ‘behind the scenes’ with technology.” He especially enjoyed feeling the sense of responsibility when helping teachers use technology. As “Lead Tech” for his group, Malcolm learned that leaders are those “who can motivate everyone to get the job done and help each person to do their best.”
What has it been like designing with technology as a member of Design League?
In 10th grade, Malcolm joined Mouse Design League, an afterschool design and technology program. Through Design League, Malcolm created new technologies to improve the lives of individuals at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of NYC. Malcolm has enjoyed the opportunity to design openly and creativity, without it being “pre-arranged.” “It was the first time I did anything near this scale -- where I had to identify a problem and build a solution. This was my first design challenge and it was great.”
“Building things is the least emphasized in technology classes. It’s always about coding, step by step, to solve a problem. With Mouse, we are involved in determining the problem to solve and designing the solution, which is what you really need in the real world.”
What has been the impact of being involved with Mouse?
Malcolm credits Mouse with more than expanding his experiences with technology. “Mouse has made me become better at working with other people to solve problems, develop an idea, and improve critical thinking and the thinking process.”
Malcolm has also developed his skills working with others. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet kids that I would have never met, kids from different backgrounds and neighborhoods, and develop my team building skills. That ability to fit into a team is something that Mouse does well and a very useful skill in life.”
He also has enjoyed the process of working with those who can benefit from technology. “Working with individuals from UCP makes the open ended problem solving even better. Above and beyond, step by step, we are finding a problem that needs to be solved. If you ever want to create a business, that’s exactly what you do -- so getting experience this experience is fantastic.”
How did your involvement in Mouse shape your plans for the future?
Malcolm is interested in studying electrical engineering in college, as he sees this as an opportunity to expand his experiences and interests gained through Mouse. “A lot of young people are interested in the idea of tech careers, but they are lacking the specifics. It’s hard to decide without the hands-on experience I’ve learned through Mouse. Getting to try out all these things through Mouse has helped me to figure out what I want to do.”
He also looks forward to continuing to make an impact on the lives of others. “It’s a fantastic feeling to be making a difference. With every step, it gets better and better. At the end, we’ve solved a real problem, made a difference. That experience stays with you. I don’t want to give up on making things, helping to make a difference in any way. Mouse is the reason for that.”
