Ashley Tran, a former OMSI intern, sits at a table in the museum’s Teen Tech Center, busy at her laptop, navigating easily through a program she’s designed and built from scratch. As she clicks around the screen, you can see glimpses of her project: a lifting bench, a set of dumbbells, textured floors. She wears a black T-shirt with a logo printed on the front that reads Cybexercise.
Last year, OMSI partnered with SummerWorks, a short-term employment and training program aimed at supporting youth through their first work experiences and introducing them to employers who will positively impact their futures. OMSI hosted a group of interns to provide opportunities to explore career pathways at OMSI, which is what brought Ashley Tran to OMSI for the first time.
Cybexercise Is Born
Before her internship, Ashley noticed a lack of resources for disabled individuals in public gyms, including lack of braille signage and accessible equipment in the workout rooms. She asked herself: What exercises were there for people with limited mobility? How could the stigma of visiting a gym as someone with a disability be addressed? It was these questions that sparked an idea where her skills and interests could intertwine.
Over the next few months, Ashley created a simulated gym for virtual reality headsets, complete with virtual equipment, textures to enhance the experience, and exercises specifically designed for those with limited mobility. Despite never designing for virtual reality before, Ashley quickly learned two new software programs and gained insight into how video game developers built new worlds. From there, her program and company Cybexercise was born.
Breaking New Ground
Ashley’s innovative project helped OMSI bring Virtual Reality (VR) into the Teen Tech Center and also served as inspiration for other teens to explore VR themselves.
The Best Buy Teen Tech Center at OMSI is a free space for teens where they can experiment with various technologies, ranging from sewing machines and button makers to a recording booth, 3D printer, and drawing tablets. Mentors are available to help hone and guide skills, but the space is largely self-directed and provides teen visitors the freedom to explore and create.
“It shows the different aspects of creativity,” Ashley shared. “Embracing the technology at OMSI helped me have the accessibility to try different things.”
Future Reality
Ashley is heading to Vanderbilt University this fall and credits OMSI with helping her grow the confidence and skills for taking risks and exploring the unknown. The mentorship she received at the Teen Tech center along with the opportunities to connect with professionals in other industries have given her an experience of following her curiosity, learning new skills, and building something new toward a better future.
Learn more about the Best Buy Teen Tech Center!
