Lauren Mavenson Inspires the Next Generation of Engineers

Engineering is about more than designing buildings and infrastructure. At its core, it’s about curiosity, creativity and finding solutions that make people’s lives better.

For Lauren Mavenson, associate mechanical engineer at McKinstry and associate board member for Pacific Science Center in Seattle, helping students discover that reality is one of the most rewarding parts of her volunteer work. By connecting engineering concepts to real-world challenges, Lauren helps young learners experience how science and technology can shape the communities around them and empowers them to imagine their own role in solving future problems.

This summer, Lauren volunteered as a guest engineer and associate board representative for Pacific Science Center’s Camps for Curious Minds, a hands-on summer program that encourages students to explore science, technology, engineering and creativity through immersive learning experiences.

Working with campers in two programs, Duct Tape Engineering and Underwater Machines, Lauren helped students move beyond textbook concepts and experience the engineering process firsthand.

As both a mechanical engineer and Pacific Science Center associate board member, Lauren was uniquely positioned to connect each camp theme to real-world applications. Rather than simply explaining engineering principles, she challenged students to think like engineers by tackling problems similar to those faced by professionals every day.

In Duct Tape Engineering, students designed and tested systems that distributed airflow to multiple rooms, introducing them to the same questions engineers consider when designing HVAC systems: How does air move? How can it be delivered efficiently? What design changes improve performance?

In Underwater Machines, students explored how fans, pumps, turbines and other fluid-based systems move air and water before applying those concepts to a transportation challenge inspired by flood response and waterborne infrastructure. Teams were tasked with delivering emergency supplies across a flooded area while balancing competing priorities such as cargo capacity, stability, propulsion and risk.

While the projects varied, the lesson remained the same: engineering is a process of learning, adapting and improving.

Throughout both camps, Lauren encouraged students to follow the same approach engineers use every day: define a problem, develop a solution, test ideas, evaluate results and refine designs through iteration.

“Your first design does not need to be perfect. It needs to teach you something,” Lauren shared with campers as they worked through their projects. “That’s true in camp, and it’s true in engineering. The most important thing isn’t getting it right the first time; it’s learning from what happens and improving your next design.”

For Lauren, helping students embrace that mindset is one of the most valuable aspects of STEM education.

“What I enjoy most is helping students see that engineering isn’t about finding one right answer,” she said. “It’s about understanding the problem, testing ideas, learning from evidence and making the next version better.”

By connecting camp activities to real-world building systems, fluid movement and engineering decision-making, Lauren helped students understand that the concepts they learn in the classroom can be applied to challenges that affect communities every day.

“Whether we’re designing an HVAC system, moving water through a building or helping students solve a design challenge, the process starts the same way,” Lauren said. “Ask questions, test ideas and keep learning.”

Through her volunteer work with Pacific Science Center, Lauren is helping inspire the next generation of problem-solvers, showing students that engineering isn’t just about how things work. It’s about using curiosity, creativity and collaboration to make a positive difference.