Outside, amidst the chaos of high school, unknown to the rest of the world, a dimly lit, cluttered garage hid a ticking time bomb. Timmy Clark sat over his work bench in a scribbling frenzy, but no. This was more than just scribbles: they were blueprints. Blueprints of a genius on the brink of a breakthrough. His eyes are sharp and intense, reminiscent of a storm of ideas ready to explode at any second.
Timmy Clark, is a junior at Noblesville High school, Clark has been building since the age of 8. The question is, what ignited this passion for engineering? He’s created a pickle ball launcher for fun and developed a practical pulley system that controls household lights.
“The thing that originally got me into building was my dad. As a kid I always had ideas of things to make so I would go to him with it and he made my dreams and ideas a reality. But the more I grew up it became more of a team effort,” Clark said.
Despite Clarks ample experience making all kinds of different creations, the part that he finds the most challenging in the building process is trying to come up with an idea in the first place.
“My inspiration for my builds is just random, out there ideas that I have to tame a little to make it feasible, or If I see a problem I think about if it can be fixed or improved with the materials and skills I have, then I try to build something,” Clark said.
According to Clark Building things is often a very complex process containing many different elements and parts. Each engineer has their own style, ways of thinking and approach to the building process. This includes Clark.
“My building process is different for each idea, sometimes I don’t plan at all and just jump into it. But other ideas are a little harder. I sketch my ideas, and then I use onshape to model it, and then if everything goes right I’ll assemble it,” Clark said.
Not every creation is created equally, some are harder or easier to make, some more function or fun then another but that just makes each one unique
“I like all my creations because they’re different. But some cool ones I’ve built are a coin pusher arcade game, soccer passer, pulley system, and a frisbee golf basket, just to name a few,” Clark said.
While building things has a lot of benefits, it also comes with challenges that are often hard to overcome.
“Some cons about building are that it is often time consuming, sometimes it doesn’t work and I need to change the design or even abandon it, and also I can just run out of ideas for moments in time,” Clark said.
Despite these downsides, Clark continues building things because of its unique experiences and new outlooks it provides.
“Building has really given me a new mindset, it actually finds challenges fun like a puzzle to solve. I’ve also learned perseverance and how to learn from my mistakes,” Clark Said.
It’s not just Clark’s creativity that sets him apart but also his knowledge, and adaptability. That was recognized by Ryan Clark, Clarks’ inspiration, building partner, and father.
“Along with Timmy’s creativity he also has the ability to understand all aspects of things that will set him apart whether it be mechanical, electrical, computer software, or chemical,” said Ryan Clark.
Cooper Williams, a long time friend of Clark states that Clark isn’t just smart and builds things but he also uplifts the people around him.
“While yes, Timmy is very smart, I think it’s more about how he treats other people with so much kindness and compassion,” Williams said.
Engineering isn’t about natural talent but rather the willingness to try.
“Some advice I would give to someone who wants to build something is don’t give up. Engineering isn’t easy you’ll fail a lot but you need to get back up and persevere, Clark said”
While the future is uncertain, Clark has some plans for what’s next.
“After high school I plan on going on attending college majoring in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, but I’m still trying to figure that part out,” said Clark.
What Clark does know is that he has a steadfast passion. A passion for building and creating. Wherever his career takes him, he is certain in his future of engineering.
“What still amazes me about building things is that you can literally just make anything you want and your creativity and skills are the limit,” said Clark.
