A different kind of A.I : Accessibility and Individuality 

By Rowan Coughlin

Both of my older sisters had the privilege of attending the University of Florida. In fact, my sister, Ailish, was also an Innovation Academy student. She leant me an inside ear on the multitude of opportunities that the University of Florida and the IA program offer.  Ailish reported back to me the distinguishing characteristics of the IA program: small class sizes, group projects, goal-oriented atmosphere. As a former IB student, I appreciated these features. I applied, got in, and did indeed find these familiar qualities in the IA program. In addition, I have come to appreciate the accessibility of the program and its emphasis on individuality.

The Innovation Academy positions students for success. Attending any large university, the multitude of opportunities and newly gained independence may be overwhelming. Innovation Academy provides a smaller team of staff and peers which welcomes more concentrated attention and opportunities

The first year as an IA student propels students into project building, design sprints and competitions. In one of the first innovation classes I took, innovation in action, we were tasked with a final design sprint. The assignment: Introduce 3D printing to an underutilized industry. Having been primed with lessons on 3D printing, coding and mini projects, my team confidently approached the challenge. Inspired by our all-female team, we selected the female-dominated industry of nail salons. We were then selected by our peers and IA staff to compete in the Innovation Academy’s First Year Pitch Competition and won.   

As an IA student, you will be provided the exact same opportunity. Winning the First Year Pitch Competition Award taught me this lesson and I began to take better advantage of IA.  

In the fall of my sophomore year, I joined the IA internship, UF Innovation Academy Local Internship Experience, for second year students. I was placed with ThemeWorks, a design and engineering company that creates high-scale designs and sets. I worked hand in hand with ThemeWorks Inc. CEO, Scott Gill, and created site plans for a resort in Cedar Key, FL. This internship is one of my most informative experiences. An entire semester working with a legitimate company on a real problem.

My success at ThemeWorks inspired me to apply to be an ambassador for the Innovation Academy. There, I help incoming and current students navigate through the program. 

These opportunities were only made possible because of IA’s accessibility. So often, intelligent and capable students are not provided with the opportunity to display or discover their talents. It requires an active effort to capture young minds and enable them to innovate. I deeply admire the Innovation Academy’s framework that pushes students into unfamiliar environments. 

Individuality is something the Innovation Academy and I share. I am an advocate for being yourself in all settings, especially in professional and academic environments. To successfully innovate, you must use your unique perspective. Conformity is a knee jerk reaction in unfamiliar environments. When starting college or entering the professional field, it is easy to mimic what others are doing around you. Innovation requires something new and that “new” thing is your distinct experiences, qualities and opinions. 

With a name like Bean, I enjoy making an impression and being memorable. I credit this trait to my success in IA and bring this quality to my advertising degree.