Page 65 - IFIA_Magazine_No11

IFIA Magazine - Mar ch 2021 |

of skateboards.
“I pretty much just like anything that has wheels that I can ride around,” she says.
Thomsen was inspired to build her electric longboard after learning of their high price, diving
headfirst into the expansive online electric skateboarding community, determined to create
one of her own.
“I knew nothing about it … electrical stuff and coding,” she says. “So, I did a lot of research. I
watched videos [and] I read.”
After hours of in-depth research, many trips to the hardware store, which Thomsen says is one
of her favorite places to be, and a couple of mishaps along the way, Thomsen finally completed
her strenuous project.
The future is Kat
With her first year of high school in full throttle, Thomsen’s schedule has transformed from
weekly Tuesday after-school surfing in Santa Cruz to soccer and schoolwork almost every day
of the week, allowing her much less time to dabble in her creative interests. Yet she is not ready
to give up on her interests and still tries to find time to surf and brainstorm on the weekends.
Despite Thomsen’s fascination with
mechanics, she says she has had trouble
relaying her passion to her friends, who
don’t share her interest in building. She
explains her love of going to her local
hardware store, but says her friends weren’t
as excited by the outing.
“They didn’t love it as much so I couldn’t stay
for that long,” Thomsen says, describing
one visit to the hardware store with her
friends. “They wanted ice cream.”
As of now, Thomsen says she is unsure of
her future plans. Despite encouragement to
become an engineer due to her appreciation
of math, she says she doesn’t want a static
job.
“I mean, I’m sure there are some …
engineers that do that but when I think of
engineer, it is straightforward,” Thomsen
says. “I want something freer, a little more
creative.”

Written by Jasmine Venet and Emma
Donelly-Higgins

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