University of New Haven Centennial (1920-2020)

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, 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.