I found my passion for product development in a unconventional way. My love for sailing schooner sailboats brought me to begin studying design and manufacturing at a yacht restoration school in Newport, RI. It was there, at IYRS School of Technology and Trades, that I learned how to bring my product ideas to life. I worked for a prototype and product development company after graduating, and this is where I learned about the variety of work that is involved in this industry. I’ve grown to love the creative process from conceptualizing ideas to seeing the final products. Working with a wide library of materials, manufacturing techniques, machines and processes, and honing in on my concept sketching and CAD skills has given me a confident understanding of product development and all of the steps it entails from conceptualization to manufacturing.