Clarkson-made Collectible: Mini Baja LEGO

We're so glad you came to visit, and hope you had a memorable experience. 

If you took home our Clarkson Mini Baja LEGO, you've come to the right place to learn more about this unique collectible in your possession.

Image

Our Clarkson-branded Mini Baja LEGO was designed by a team of students, Mechanical Maestros, for the 2023 President's Challenge. The team is comprised of engineering students from three different disciplines: mechanical, aerospace and civil. 

For the team members, it was all about the experience in teamwork and collaboration. Team member Stefan Lumsden '27 says, "I think my main take away was how easy a challenge can be when a team collaborates well together. We all pulled our own weight and were able to complete the whole project incredibly fast as everyone put effort into it. I think that team work and collaboration was definitely the most important thing I got out of it; especially since this can be used in every thing we do daily."

His teammate Charles Simon '27 agrees. "The most important lesson I learned throughout the President's Challenge was the lesson of coordination and teamwork. One of the main reasons my team won this challenge was our efforts to work together and consistently stay on the same page,"  he says. "Throughout the prototyping process, we each listened to each other's ideas and tested multiple different prototypes. By always being on the same page, we were able to stay on track and incorporate all of our strengths and ideas into creating our final prototype."

Involvement from Clarkson faculty was also part of the team's strategy. Team member Jack Colling '27 shares, "We didn't communicate with faculty a ton while developing our product, but once we had developed it, faculty mentors helped us tremendously to improve it. This was extremely beneficial because they had experience that we as freshmen just didn't have. Once we completed our prototype, we then talked to a faculty member. This led to us significantly decreasing the cost of our product, and streamlined the production of it."

It was a strategy that worked. The team took home the top prize for the Mechanical Engineering category. Team member Aidan Osborne '27 concludes, "When you surround yourself with people who have similar goals as you, no matter how great those goals are, you can reach them. Since the beginning of the challenge, we had a vision, and that was to win the President's Challenge. We did not know what we were going to do for a long time, or how we were going to do it, but we did not lose hope in our end goal."
 

What will YOU make as a Clarkson student?

ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S CHALLENGE & CLARKSON IGNITE

Each fall semester, Clarkson Ignite hosts the President's Challenge. The challenge itself may change annually, but the "why" behind it remains the same: to bring together cross-functional teams who will address a real-world need using innovation, teamwork and creativity by devleoping a prototype or compelling conceptual design. In 2023, the President's Challenge was completed by over 100 teams and over 500 students, competing for incredible prizes and campus glory.

Learn more about Clarkson Ignite

Follow Clarkson Ignite on Instagram

AT CLARKSON, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES GUIDE THE EXPLORATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES. 

Embark on an enriching academic journey and immerse yourself in an industry-relevant mechanical engineering curriculum that seamlessly
integrates theory, practical application and cutting-edge research. Clarkson equips you with skills that lead to a successful career in the ever-evolving field of mechanical engineering. Dedicated faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and aligned extracurricular activities strengthen the transformative learning experience. Whether designing sustainable systems or contributing to groundbreaking projects, Clarkson empowers students to develop technology that will change the world.