LT has welcomed a new addition to its extracurricular environment with the start of Engineering Club, founded by Dominic Kent ‘25. The club has swiftly gained traction, attracting a diverse group of students eager to explore the ins and outs of engineering.

“I’ve always been a big engineering guy,” Kent said. “It’s my passion. It’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. When I found out there wasn’t an engineering club, I was upset. But then I thought, if no one else is going to create an engineering club, I might as well, and I did.”

What started as an idea, soon turned into reality when Kent asked physics teacher Robert Sherman to be the Engineering Club’s first sponsor. 

“I was so excited to see a student who was so passionate about starting a club on science, technology and engineering,” Sherman said. “Anytime you have a student excited to start a new science club, why not?”

The club had its debut meeting on Feb. 8, with an enthusiastic turnout showing a growing interest among Lyons Township’s student body in the field of engineering, Kent said. Kent had help in the first meeting with his two co-leaders, Brendon Lopez ‘25 and Luke Hudetz ‘25.

The club’s goals encompass a wide array of hands-on projects and discussions, ranging from building mousetrap cars to protective egg drop experiments. Although the club has a teacher sponsor, most of these projects are student-run.

“Generally, as a club sponsor, I like to be a little bit more behind the scenes, and allow my student leaders to lead the club,” Sherman said. “They pretty much run everything. So mostly I communicate over email or in person with Kent. Then he works with his co-leaders. So I’ll circulate around the background, keep an eye on safety, and when we’re starting to build things, I’ll help out with some equipment, but primarily, this club is run by the students.”

The Engineering Club’s goal is to keep up these challenging tasks, which may include competitions, guest lecturers, and community outreach efforts, Kent said. 

The club wants to inspire students to pursue their passion for engineering and make a meaningful difference both within and outside of school by creating a welcoming environment that encourages innovation and invention.

“I’d say just come try it out,” Kent said. “You’d be surprised. It’s fun. You get to try new things and learn about engineering. You don’t have to be an expert engineer to be a part of this club, all you’ve got to do is show up. It’s almost like building Legos, but with a little bit of science.”