Students Launch LEGO Mentor Program

Derek Jewell, a biomedical engineering major at the U, and Courtney Doyle, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, are proving that LEGOs are for people of any age. They joined forces with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, Utah’s operational partner for FIRST LEGO League, to start a mentor program. FIRST LEGO League teams consist of kids ages 9-14 who work together for four months to build robots that can maneuver through obstacles during a competition. While all of the teams have the interest and drive, not all have a coach with engineering knowledge. This is where the two Utah students jumped in and created the mentor program, recruiting 14 mentors in their first year. “I feed off the energy of these kids, and they inspire me to be a better engineer,” Doyle said.