PASSION PROJECTS

Matthew Sheehy ’19

By Elizabeth Rodgers
Photo by Arnold Gold/New Haven Register

"Whenever I set out to build something new, I remind myself that I’m going to fail. A lot. I’ll start with a small prototype, and it won’t turn out quite right. Then I’ll build another version, and that one will be just OK. I’ll improve on the design of the second iteration, and I still won’t be satisfied. It is such a crazy thing to see something you’ve worked on for so long suddenly work exactly like you envisioned it would. It’s the best feeling in the world. That’s what I keep in the back of my mind when I’m at the point where I feel like all I’ve done is fail. I know it’s going to be worth it."Matthew Sheehy ’19

Matthew Sheehy ’19, a former Kauffman Scholarship recipient and graduate of the University of New Haven’s Mechanical Engineering Program, currently works with periscopes, masts, and antennas at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island. He is also co-founder of Modernized Startups, a company that offers 3D printing services for business advertising. Sheehy — pictured here with a hovercraft he built as a class project — expressed this creative streak throughout his time at the University by building and prototyping a variety of products, including motorized longboards, quadcopters, hovercrafts, and jet scooters.



Celebrating What it Takes to be a Charger

The spotlights featured in this special campaign edition of the University of New Haven Alumni Magazine showcase something fundamental that our students, faculty, alumni, and friends have in common: selflessness and a desire to give back to the world for the opportunities given to them. The Charger Challenge was inspired by individuals like these who have committed themselves to continuing an incredible momentum into a future that beckons with possibility and the promise of imagination, innovation, and impact.

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