Dorene Data took time out of her day to talk with IV Leader about the future MIMIC fair. The MIMIC fair has been an annual occurrence every year for the last twenty-eight years. “Twenty-eight years ago, a few instructors got together to help give students something they hadn’t had before.” 

What started out as an attempt of making a small impact has turned into a massive impact, as twenty-eight years later and the MIMIC fair is as strong as ever. The fair has received awards for its doing including two national science foundation grants with one being half a million dollars and the other being a quarter of a million dollars and this helped grow the program expeditiously.

The MIMIC fair is on April 19 in CTC 124. The theme for this year’s fair is open house. “There will be several different stations you will stop at” Data states, you go through a kitchen, a garage, an office, and the outside. 

The products that students have designed for the last semester will be for sale at the fair. Items include a pizza cutter, keychains, and car accessories for the inside of your car.

Data says students should attend the MIMIC fair because it’s fun and you can see “what other students are doing in different disciplines.” 

Nathaniel Nelson, a student who is selling an item in the MIMIC fair was generous enough to give insight on his item he is selling, his role in the fair, and the process of making his item.

Nelson’s item is a universal keychain, “there are two pieces to it. One being the base in a shield type shape. The other is a key tag which just inserts into the shield.” The key tag on the item is interchangeable. Nelson says there are different tags representing different sports teams, seasons, schools, or names. 

Nelson’s role for the MIMIC fair is being a salesman for his product and being a realtor because of the open house theme of the fair. Each student will be in different rooms trying to sell their items. Nelson will be greeting people at the front door of the house.

The process of making these items was a long process Nelson says: The process involved many hours of a program that we use called Solid works. It is a computer program designed to be able to make an item on the computer and easily print in the 3D printer.

Teachers in CTC are referred to as “workforce development.” Data states, “We train students to go out and help locals or go out and see what other students are doing.” Data and others are making a big impact on the students and the college.