EUREKA! Participants
EUREKA! 2024 Teams
Ovation | Culture Team
[Left to right] Miguel Villaman Torres, Jessie Shelton, Mary Ann Jacob, Pravina Narendra Bhalerao
Elit3 | Culture Team
[Left to right] Maya Eskinde, Blessing Smith, Catherine Gilmore
Tempo | Culture Team
[Left to right] Bryan Bigham, Avis Ayers, Madison Gentes, Alicia Gentes
ATHENÆUM | History Team
[Top row] Emelia Mccalla, Anika Khanam, Michael Selent [Bottom row] Cameron Pereira, Emily Lu,
Relator | History Team
[Left to right] Nicole Yoo, Emmet Blanchette, Jennie Wiley, Anais Santiago
ROCreation | Recreation Team
[Left to right] Meredith Schell, Kayden Anderson, Lorgan Allen, Sol Holston
Making Waves | Recreation Team
[Left to right] Maya Davies, Aamir Sohail, Lorenzo Graham, Julie Morris
Waterfall Warriors | Recreation Team
[Left to right] Jiya Naryani, Ashley Persia, Christina Cao, Aditya Aysola
Panorama | Recreation Team
[Left to right] Oluwaseyi Onifade, Lucy Nguyen, Lucas Tutterman
Meet the amazing participants of EUREKA! 2024
Emelia Mccalla (They/he/she)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Rutland, VT
Favorite food: Chicken Piccata
Favorite creature: Cuttlefish
Hobby: Embroidery
What inspires me to be creative: I’m honestly not sure, I just like to be
Ashley Persia (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Pittsburgh PA
Favorite food: Anything chocolate
Favorite creature: Panda
Hobby: Running
What inspires me to be creative: The wonderful people around me
Meredith Schell (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Fairport, NY
Favorite food: Ice cream
Favorite creature: Dogs
Hobby: Soccer
What inspires me to be creative: Being outside and seeing art in the real world
Jiya Naryani (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: India
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite creature: None
Hobby: Playing basketball
What inspires me to be creative: New design solutions to problems
Catherine Gilmore (She/they)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Auburn, NY
Favorite food: Calzone
Favorite creature: Cat
Hobby: Playing video games/listening to podcasts
What inspires me to be creative: Other creative people!
Lucy Nguyen (She/her)
Year: 4th
Major: Industrial Design
From: Arlington, VA
Favorite food: Pho tai chin
Favorite creature: Otters
Hobby: Beading necklaces!
What inspires me to be creative: Creating something you didn’t know you needed
Maya Davies (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: New York City
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite creature: Fox
Hobby: Playing racquet sports such as tennis and pickle-ball
What inspires me to be creative: Findings from research, music, nature and the work of other designers
Miguel Villaman Torres (He/him)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Rochester, NY
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite creature: Panda
Hobby: Drawing
What inspires me to be creative: Being with my family
Jennie Wiley (She/they)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Computing & IT
From: Washington State!
Favorite food: As of recently, alfredo pasta with tofu.
Favorite creature: Cats
Hobby: Hiking!!
What inspires me to be creative: All of the things that I deeply care about; whether it be my friends, the environment, or things I find beautiful in individual moments.
Alicia Gentes (She/her)
Year: 3rd Year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Hawley, PA
Favorite food: Pasta bake
Favorite creature: Hippo
Hobby: Painting, collecting, and collaging
What inspires me to be creative: Music, other artists, and the people in my life
Nicole Yoo (She/her)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Long Island, New York
Favorite food: Korean or authentic Chinese food
Favorite creature: Duck or cat
Hobby: Playing the piano or watching exciting TV shows.
What inspires me to be creative: Letterpress printmakers
Blessing Smith (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Management Information Systems
From: Gaithersburg, Maryland
Favorite food: Chick-fil-A
Favorite creature: Cheetah
Hobby: Cooking
What inspires me to be creative: The overall enjoyment of it
Jessie Shelton (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Bachelor of Science
From: Oklahoma City, OK
Favorite food: Baked sweet potatoes
Favorite creature: Horse
Hobby: Printmaking
What inspires me to be creative: Seeing others being creative and thinking outside the box.
Emmet Blanchette (He/him)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Northampton, MA
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite creature: Monkey
Hobby: Lifting weights
What inspires me to be creative: The visceral feeling of excitement when my design comes out exactly as I envisioned it
Julie Morris (She/her)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Cranford, NJ
Favorite food: Raviolis
Favorite creature: Cat
Hobby: Making jewelry
What inspires me to be creative: Other artists and creatives
Avis Ayers (He/him)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Albany, NY
Favorite food: Chicken parm, pasta, pizza, coffee ice cream
Favorite creature: Bunnies and frogs!
Hobby: Collaging and listening to music
What inspires me to be creative: Walking through art museums
Maya Eskinde (They/she)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Favorite food: Ice Cream
Favorite creature: Dogs
Hobby: Painting and drawing
What inspires me to be creative: Other people’s art
Bryan Bigham (He/him)
Year: 4th year
Major: New Media Design
From: Rochester
Favorite food: A sandwich of some form, if I were to pick one, a french dip
Favorite creature: Manta Ray
Hobby: Vinyl Collecting
What inspires me to be creative:The satisfaction of solving complex design problems
Mary Ann Jacob (She/they)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Not Sure! I guess where I grew up in New Jersey
Favorite food: kimchi-tofu jjigae
Favorite creature: Monkey đŸ™‚
Hobby: Photography, Videogames, Running, Fashion, Decorating, Thrifting, Drawing
What inspires me to be creative: Myself! I’m inspired by showing others what I see, what I make. Fulfilling other people’s perceptions on life, on art, and fulfilling myself in my own art form, It means a lot of me.
Michael Selent Jr. (He/him)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Massachusetts
Favorite food: Buffalo Chicken
Favorite creature: Sea Otter
Hobby: Cooking
What inspires me to be creative: A passion to see beauty is everything
Anais Santiago (She/He/They)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Jersey City
Favorite food: Margherita Pizza
Favorite creature: Jellyfish or Bears
Hobby: Sewing
What inspires me to be creative: Kind of everything
Lucas Tutterman (He/him)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Buffalo, NY
Favorite food: Rice
Favorite creature: Giraffe
Hobby: Drawing
What inspires me to be creative: Socializing with others and sharing ideas
Cameron Pereira (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Rhode Island
Favorite food: Curley fries
Favorite creature: Giraffe
Hobby: Crocheting and dancing
What inspires me to be creative: My friends, music, and just the things around me.
Lorgan Allen (She/her)
Year: 3rd year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Stamford, NY
Favorite food: Rice Pudding
Favorite creature: Cats
Hobby: Painting
What inspires me to be creative: Everyday mundane occurrences! (I spin them to sound more dramatic and it is amazing)
Aditya Aysola (He/him)
Year: 1st year
Major: Computer Science
From: Any place that makes me feel comfortable.
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite creature: Lion
Hobby: Running
What inspires me to be creative: It feels good to express my inner creative self that creates beautiful innovations fostering positive change.
Aamir Sohail (He/him)
Year: 1st year
Major: Computer Engineering
From: RIT
Favorite food: Pakistani food
Favorite creature: Sharks
Hobby: Wrestling, Running, Basketball
What inspires me to be creative: Seeing other people’s art and creative projects inspires me to stay creative.
Pravina Narendra Bhalerao (She/her)
Year: 2nd year Masters
Major: Computer Science
From: Mumbai, India
Favorite food: Palak Paneer
Favorite creature: Butterfly / Elephants
Hobby: I like to travel and draw
What inspires me to be creative: Traveling inspires me. Having new experiences and meeting new people and doing fun activities
Lorenzo Graham (He/him)
Year: 1st year
Major: MIS
From: Jamaica
Favorite food: Rice and peas with stewed chicken
Favorite creature: Ant
Hobby: Reading
What inspires me to be creative: My desire to help others
Emily Lu (She/they)
Year: 1st year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Mississippi
Favorite food: Noodle Soup
Favorite creature: Unicorns
Hobby: Stargazing
What inspires me to be creative: The dynamism and endless complexity of others’ experiences, perspectives, and ideas
Madison Gentes (She/her)
Year: 1st year
Major: Graphic Design
From: Lakeville, PA
Favorite food: Chicken tenders and french fries
Favorite creature: brown bears
Hobby: Drawing and going to the gym
What inspires me to be creative: Music and Nature
Oluwaseyi Onifade (He/him)
Year: 5th year/Grad student
Major: Health Systems Management
From: Queens, NY
Favorite food: Wings
Favorite creature: Lion
Hobby: Travel
What inspires me to be creative: I am not sure, it comes naturally
Sol Holston (They/them)
Year: 1st year
Major: Engineering Exploration
From: East Greenbush, NY
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese
Favorite creature: Horses
Hobby: Rowing (and kayaking)
What inspires me to be creative: Both the desire to learn and discover new things and the process of discover and learning these new things inspire me to create and improve upon creations.
Kayden Anderson (He/him)
Year: 1st year
Major: Computer Engineering
From: Aubrey, TX
Favorite food: Rice and breaded pork with curry. It’s a home comfort food my grandparents made a lot
Favorite creature: Dogs
Hobby: Playing games with friends
What inspires me to be creative: Collaboration and a drive for success
Christina Cao (She/her)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Mechanical Engineering
From: NYC
Favorite food: Mac and cheese
Favorite creature: Dog
Hobby: 3D printing
What inspires me to be creative: Seeing other people’s creative projects
Anika Khanam (She/her)
Year: 2nd year
Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology
From: Buffalo, NY
Favorite food: Fried Okra
Favorite creature: Cat
Hobby: Reading
What inspires me to be creative: Nature