Lego + VCR slot = unhappy mom, but a passion for business

Interlake High School graduate Edward Jiang's interest of science and technology dates back to the Lego incident of his younger years.

Curious to discover a connection between Legos and the VCR, Jiang experimented by placing several colorful Lego pieces into the video slot. The result was a broken VCR, an unhappy mother, and a new passion for learning through trial and error.

When Jiang transfered to Interlake High School for his senior year he quickly observed a void in science and technology programs outside of the classroom. Along with a group of friends, Jiang started StudentRND, a non-profit organization which aims to inspire student research and development in the field of science and technology.

"When learning to ride a bicycle, you don't learn by passing a multiple choice test or reading a text book," Jiang said. "You learn by actually climbing on the bike and trying again and again. It's the same way with science and technology. Science is learning by inquiry."

StudentRND registered as a non-profit in April and offers two types of programs: a workshop where students can get the tools and research to work on individual or collective projects and community outreach to raise awareness and funds for StudentRND.

A group of six members form the core leadership behind StudentRND and more than 36 students attended the daily workshops during the summer months.

"A lot of students have trouble learning from a text book," said Vu Tran, a StudentRND volunteer. "Your understanding of a concept can only go so far, but when you actually see it in front of you and interact with the problem in a hands on way, learning becomes easy and fun."

David Woo, a junior at Interlake High School, acts as the vice president of StudentRND Workshops and spent his summer days developing a new application for the iPhone. The application development taught Woo and other members about computer science in a real world scenario as well as an opportunity to earn money for the organization.

"What is so cool about this organization is that if one of us has a new idea or concept we want to test out, we have the support to pursue it," Woo said.

The StudentRND organization hopes to continue to develop the workshop and community outreach aspects as well as implement a group at each high school in Bellevue to promote the science and technology opportunities at each individual school.

"The goal of StudentRND is to make sure no child is left ahead," said Jiang, with a laugh. "We want to be a resource for students looking to learn in a hands on environment. Basically, we build really cool stuff."

Companies such as Microsoft have opened their doors for tours to the members of StudentRND to observe real world applications of science and technology.

Over the next year, Jiang said he hopes the organization can find an office space on the Eastside so they can expand the workshops and the number of people who can participate. StudentRND is actively seeking donations and corporate sponsorships in hopes of growing the organization in the future.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425.453.4602.

To learn more about StudentRND, visit www.studentrnd.org.

Contact Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer Lindsay Larin at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or 425-453-4602.

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