For Carson Daly, engineering has never been about simply finding the right answer on a page. It’s about taking an idea and figuring out how to make it real.
“I got started with CAMP as a freshman because I was interested in the hands-on experiences,” Daly said. “Once I got involved, I was hooked.”
A mechanical engineering and electrical engineering double major from Phillip, South Dakota, Daly joined Aero Design, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Baja and, briefly, Chem-E Car. Growing up, he hadn’t had many opportunities to experience engineering through hands-on STEM projects. At Mines, suddenly, he had a place to build, test, and solve problems alongside other students.
“You’re able to use what you learn in class while participating in CAMP,” Daly said. “You start to see how those things actually apply.”
But he found more than an outlet for his curiosity. He found a community.
Much of CAMP’s work happens in the PORCH, a shared workspace where students design, build and troubleshoot. But it’s also where students gather to work on homework, form study groups and spend time together.
The teams are intentionally welcoming to new members, and that openness helped Daly find his footing. He could ask questions, share ideas and learn alongside students with more experience. Over time, teammates became friends.
For students like Daly, support for extracurricular programs like CAMP creates opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom. It gives them a place to put their education into practice while developing the communication, leadership, and collaboration skills they’ll need long after graduation. Just as importantly, it gives them a community.
Carson testing drones with a friend from CAMP.
“CAMP helped me open up more,” Daly said. “It helped me become more social and gave me confidence sharing my ideas.”
That sense of belonging became just as valuable as the engineering experience itself.
As a sophomore, Daly became an officer on one of the teams, giving him another opportunity to grow. He learned that leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. Different people respond to different approaches, and CAMP gave him the chance to try different leadership techniques, receive feedback, and learn what worked.
The projects taught him similar lessons.
Parts fail. Designs don’t work as expected. Problems emerge that can’t be solved by simply looking back at a textbook. Teams have to adapt, communicate and figure it out together.
For Daly, those experiences have made engineering feel real.
CAMP has taught him how to work toward real deadlines, collaborate with people who think differently, and keep moving when the solution isn’t obvious. Those skills have already helped him during internships and will continue to prepare him for his career.
Now, as he enters his senior year, Daly is bringing his experience full circle. Part of his mechanical engineering senior design project will take place with the Baja team—the kind of hands-on environment that first pulled him into CAMP as a freshman.
Four years ago, Daly joined CAMP looking for a chance to build things.
Along the way, he built confidence, leadership skills, and friendships that have become an important part of his Mines experience. Now, he’s carrying that community and everything it taught him into his future.