Two LHS Students Earn Mentorships at Alt Bionics

Lutheran High School of San Antonio is proud to announce that two rising juniors, Katie and Ziyun, have been selected for mentorship opportunities with Alt Bionics, Inc., a San Antonio-based company specializing in accessible prosthetics technology.

The mentorship opportunities arose following a robotics team tour of the Alt Bionics facility, where both students connected with CEO Ryan Saavedra about potential collaboration opportunities. Impressed by their backgrounds, clearly defined interests, and experience in STEM through their work on the LHS robotics team, Saavedra extended mentorship invitations to both students.

Katie and Ziyun's passion for creating equal access among families of different income levels aligns perfectly with Alt Bionics' mission to develop high-quality prosthetics at sustainable prices for all walks of life. 

Both mentorship programs will be self-paced and project-driven, allowing the students to pursue their own research interests while building foundational skills through the Arduino starter kit project book. This approach will prepare them for more advanced work in electronics and signal processing.

The mentorships will be conducted remotely, through the school's Innovation Hour and Genius Grant initiatives. The school's support team, including staff members who manage Innovation Hour and oversee the Genius Grant selection process, is collaborating to create a structured plan that will ensure both students' success in their remote mentoring experiences. This approach follows the precedent set by previous students who have successfully completed Genius Grant work off-campus with mentors.

As part of their mentorships, both students will have the opportunity to specialize in specific aspects of prosthetics development, including:

• Mechanical design of prosthetics
• Electronics, coding, and sensor integration
• Materials chemistry used in prosthetic construction
• Biomechanical engineering and human-body interfaces

The mentorships will provide both students with hands-on experience in research and documentation while offering insight into professional STEM careers. If the mentorships prove successful, Katie and Lin may be considered for future internship positions with the company, potentially opening doors to further opportunities in biomedical engineering and prosthetics development.

Beyond the immediate learning opportunities, these mentorships will significantly enhance both students' resumes and scholarship opportunities. The real-world research experience will provide compelling material for college essays and demonstrate their commitment to STEM fields to admissions committees at top-tier institutions.