Students with 'Epic Intentions' Consult with Local Organizations

Five groups of Tech students spent this semester consulting with local organizations through Epic Intentions and will present their work on Wednesday, April 18.

Epic Intentions is student group that brings together undergraduates from all majors to work with local nonprofits and community members through service-oriented design projects. This semester, the projects included video, app development, business planning, database development, and web design.

Fourth-year industrial engineering major and team leader Brandon Best joined Epic Intentions because he wanted to make a difference.

“It's great to grow the community of students, but being able to assist the world around us is a truly special goal.” He and his group have done that this semester by helping the nonprofit Jennifer Ann’s Group publish mobile games that raise awareness of teen dating violence.  

Another group has been working on a video project for a nonprofit that provides legal services for asylum seekers and immigrants to the U.S. Team leader and third-year computer science major Rishi Raj said that the project “provides a new and valuable experience for not just me, but my entire team as well. I've been filmmaking for many years and am always looking for new stories to tell.”

Alexis Fuller, a third-year industrial engineering major, joined Epic Intentions because she wanted to put her engineering skills to use in a positive way. Her group has spent the semester building an app for a nonprofit that teaches STEM skills to children ages 4-14.

“We’re building an app so that our nonprofit can have better communication with the parents of their students, so they can understand the impact of the classes their children are attending," Fuller said.

Third-year aerospace engineering major Beau Martin leda team that is working to build a new website for Camp Kudzu, a camp that empowers and educates children with Type 1 diabetes. The team has focused on making the website easier to navigate and more engaging for its alumni network. When asked why he joined Epic Intentions, Martin explained, “I wanted to become a better leader for teams that apply Georgia Tech skills to the real world. I've certainly enjoyed seeing the impact Tech students can have on the Atlanta community.”

The final group, led by second-year industrial engineering major Sidharth Parwani has been working with the Gateway Center, a nonprofit that serves the homeless community in Atlanta, to transform its kitchen into a delivery-only system that will improve programs and experiences for clients.

“My mother always told me that the most valuable currency on Earth is the impact we have on other people's lives,” Parwani said. “Epic Intentions allows me to apply what I learn in the classroom to improve my community."

To hear more about how these students have used their skills to serve the community, RSVP for the event.