Aggies are known for being genuine, helpful and hospitable. Two juniors in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University follow the same desire to serve others in their own unique way. Sara Lance and Kevin Lee are reaching outside the typical realm of industrial engineers to make a difference in the lives of others.
Lance ’18 developed a passion for camping in fifth grade when she embarked on her first adventure. Her middle school science teacher was also a full-time canoe guide and gave students the opportunity to experience the outdoors for a day, concluding with a big dinner in the great outdoors.
“That kind of started off my love for camping,” Lance said. “It clears my head, getting away from everything; laying on the ground in the fresh air total primal style just de-stresses. It’s my form of meditation.
Outdoor camping has been more than a hobby and meditation for Lance. While at home in Colorado during the summers, she worked for her retired science teacher. Now, she is the vice president and Boatswain’s mate of Students Serving Scouting (SSS). The co-ed outdoor service organization supports scouting in the Brazos Valley area.
“Juggling outdoor camping and engineering is quite difficult,” Lance said. “I often wish there were more than 24 hours in a day.”
Leading young boy scouts and showing them the great outdoors has made Lance reflect on how not too long ago she was in a very similar situation. The past has been a great motivator, since she wants others to experience the same fun and excitement as she once had.
“Camping brings out personalities in people and makes you enjoy the simple things, like skipping rocks on a river,” Lance said. “I notice other people stop worrying about their problems just by being outside. It’s such a cool thing to see.”
During the camping trips, SSS divides responsibilities among the organization’s officers. Lance helps with preparing all materials for Boy Scout events. Additionally, she has used skills learned in the classroom to create procedures to unpack gear more efficiently when arriving at a campsite.
“We try to assign activities we enjoy, it allows everyone to enjoy the trip more,” Lance said. “Answering and instructing eager kids has in return improved my communication. It’s another reason camping is such an important part of my life.”
While Lance is serving in the outdoor frontier, Lee has been involved in the ever-increasing digital frontier.
Websites like YouTube, Twitch, IGN and others have made video game tutorials a popular niche of the online community. Lee ‘17 saw an opportunity to focus on the less popular games, while using support characters, which are also less popular in the games themselves. Lee developed a YouTube channel, JinOkami, to host tutorial videos for other gamers with like interests. The channel has over 70 tutorial videos on different massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
“I picked a not so popular character, and tried to showcase what I had learned,” Lee said. “It is my way of giving back, while promoting something I enjoy.”
His videos provide tips and tricks to conquer the game, along with some good background music. His simple, yet effective video style has earned his channel more than 100,000 views.
“Whenever I see people watching my videos, I feel shocked and elated,” Lee said. “People are encouraging and positive in the comments, and sometimes ask for the name of the background song, which is usually an Indie song.”
Lee advises that people should initially pursue YouTube as a hobby instead a worthwhile income. Only a very small fraction of the total YouTubers become famous and can make a living doing videos. Popular YouTube channels are more like communities. They form around personalities, but Lee pointed out that social media plays a large role in popularizing something.
“Fans and viewers can interact and communicate with their favorite YouTube personality through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,” Lee said. “So the more people we have making fun, helpful and interesting videos, the better the community is going to get.”
Alongside his industrial engineering major, Lee is pursuing a minor in sociology. He chose sociology because he hopes it will help him stand out when he enters the job market, as well as optimize the style, content and delivery of his videos.
“When researching video creation and information delivery, a lot of parallels are drawn with classrooms and lectures,” Lee said. “It made me aware of the time my instructors and professors devote to their craft.”
Sociology has allowed Lee to see the impact of his videos, while industrial engineering classes improved the efficiency of his video making. Time management is one of the foundations of industrial engineering, and conveying information under time constraints can be tricky.
“My human factors class has helped me to conduct more effective research when looking for new ideas and techniques for editing and creating the videos,” Lee said. “My sociology classes have expanded my knowledge of people and their interaction with each other to better serve and expand my followership.”
Video game tutorials are going to continue to be a hobby of Lee’s, but he realizes the impact he is making. By populating the World Wide Web with unconventional videos, he is encouraging the breaking of norms. JinOkami to some viewers has been the safe haven of learning and help.
Lance and Lee chose to serve two polar opposite industries but have a united goal of helping others, whether that be helping a young Boy Scout set up his tent, or helping a random stranger defeat the latest video game boss. Not motivated by grades, money or pride, Lance and Lee enjoy their hobbies and want to share them with those willing to listen and accept help.