Rilee Barnes

“I want to know how things work,” senior Rilee Barnes said. “A lot of engineers start out by taking things apart and wanting to know how they work. Engineering is making something that’s already good even better. I started taking things apart and got fascinated. If I can see how things work, I can understand more about building new things. Everybody knows you put gas in a car, and then the engine makes the gas do something, but not many people know what that something is. I got my engine rebuilt a couple months ago, so I was turning the crank shaft by hand. Seeing how the pistons move at different speeds and then how the crankshaft turns that and then the valves is fascinating. Engineering has everything to do with taking things apart and putting it back together. I want to improve upon the next engine and electric cars and everything. My sights are very high, but I want to pursue that.”