Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenzie Slakans.
Hi Kenzie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a 19-year-old college junior studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Memphis. I graduated high school at 16 after skipping my junior year, and I was originally on track to graduate college a year early as well.
My interest in mechanical engineering began in high school, where I captained my FRC robotics team. Through hard work and dedication, we qualified for the World Championship for the first time in over a decade. That experience sparked my interest in engineering and gave me a strong foundation for the work I do today.
During my freshman year of college, I landed an internship at Barnhart Crane and Rigging (BCR), where I fell in love with the real-world engineering process. I have had the opportunity to lead my own projects, assist with many others, and learn from industry experts in everything from 3D parametric CAD to Finite Element Analysis (FEA). I have developed skills in modeling, programming, and engineering design, but what I value most is having the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and receive guidance from incredibly knowledgeable people.
I have attended my university’s career fairs every semester, but I have yet to find another company that offers the same combination of learning opportunities, flexibility, and mentorship that I have experienced at BCR.
The past year has been particularly challenging due to circumstances at home. I found myself questioning whether I could afford to stay in school while suddenly needing to support myself. During that time, my cubicle at Barnhart became a home away from home. The flexibility my company and managers gave me to adjust my work hours while remaining enrolled in school made a significant difference in my ability to continue moving forward.
Those challenges also led me to reconsider my academic timeline. Although I had originally planned to graduate a full year early, I decided to reduce my course load while remaining a full-time student so I could work more hours and better support myself financially. While this changed my graduation plans, I believe it has allowed me to grow more as an engineer through hands-on experience. There is a lot you can learn in the classroom, but working directly on real engineering problems has taught me lessons that are difficult to replicate anywhere else.
More recently, I have started branching out into art and building a small art business on the side. Engineering requires creativity, and I have been surprised by how many of my coworkers are also creative outside of work. Being surrounded by like-minded people has encouraged me to take my artwork more seriously.
Today, my routine consists of studying in the morning, working from the afternoon into the evening, and developing my art business at night. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I am finding a balance between my education, career, and personal interests. I am beginning to recover from the challenges of the past year, and I credit much of that progress to the support of my company, managers, senior engineers, and mentors.
My journey has not been straightforward, but each experience has helped me grow. I am excited to continue developing as an engineer, learning from the people around me, and building a future that combines both my technical and creative interests.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, it has not been easy.
I did not want to attend the University of Memphis when I graduated high school at 16. Because of my age and limited financial support from my family, I felt like I had very little choice in where I went to college. For the first two years, I struggled with that. I felt like I was somewhere I had not chosen to be, and I had convinced myself that there was nothing here for me.
At the same time, challenges at home placed a significant emotional and financial strain on me. I suddenly found myself needing to support myself while earning intern pay and navigating rising living costs. There were several points where I seriously considered dropping out of university simply so I could work more and afford to live independently.
Thankfully, my manager gave me the flexibility to adjust my working hours. There were times when I worked unusual schedules, sometimes staying in the office until 10 or 11 p.m. to complete my 40 hours while taking 17 hours of upper-level engineering courses. Balancing that workload was extremely demanding.
I had maintained a 4.0 GPA since fourth grade, so receiving my first C was especially difficult for me. I finished the year with a 3.92 GPA, which is objectively something I can be proud of, but at the time it felt like a significant personal failure. My courses were becoming more demanding, my financial responsibilities were increasing, and I felt like my entire life revolved around school and work.
Over the summer, I took some time to restructure my graduation plan and reconsider what I wanted my future to look like. In doing so, I also started rediscovering Memphis.
Even though I had lived here my entire life, I began exploring coffee shops, downtown streets, and creative communities I had never really experienced before. I discovered how many talented and creative people live in this city, and I began to appreciate things I had previously overlooked.
That shift in perspective changed a lot for me. Although I did not initially choose this path, I am grateful for what it has taught me. My internship has given me opportunities I would not trade, and the people I have met over the past year have made a meaningful difference in my life.
I am now seeing Memphis, my university, and my future in a completely different way. I still recognize how difficult the journey has been, but I have learned that not having the path I originally wanted does not mean I cannot build something meaningful where I am.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I see myself as having two careers at the moment: my engineering career and my creative art career. Although they are very different fields, creativity is at the heart of both.
In engineering, I specialize in design, problem-solving, and developing practical solutions to real-world challenges. I love 3D modeling, troubleshooting, and creating fabrication drawings. What excites me most is finding solutions that are not only functional but also creative, efficient, and thoughtfully designed.
At Barnhart Crane and Rigging, I have had the opportunity to lead my own projects, including a modification campaign on one of our most frequently utilized pieces of equipment. One project I am particularly proud of involved redesigning a distance-measurement system under a tight deadline. We had previously used laser sensors, but I needed to transition to physical string potentiometers.
This required me to think through the entire design, from obstructing geometry and how the equipment would be installed in the field to ensuring that welding was not necessary, since it would require grinding paint off the equipment. I also had to ensure that the sensors were compatible with our receiver module and that the wiring was properly documented. There were so many details to consider, and I loved every part of it. I am now working on a testing module to inspect these sensors, which has given me another opportunity to combine design, troubleshooting, and engineering problem-solving.
On the other side of my career, I am building my art business. I paint, sell original artwork and commissions, apply to art markets, and spend time documenting my creative process. I specialize in creating artwork that I genuinely enjoy making, and I want painting to remain a meaningful part of my life.
What sets me apart is the way I approach both careers. I enjoy taking a complex problem, understanding all of its moving parts, and creating something thoughtful from it. Whether I am designing an engineering solution or painting a piece of art, I care about the process, the details, and the opportunity to make something of my own.
I am most proud of the fact that I am building both of these careers simultaneously. I am developing as an engineer through hands-on experience while also taking the initiative to grow my art business. Both fields allow me to be creative in different ways, and I do not want to give up either one.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is being able to experience new things with my fiancé. I love traveling together, exploring new cities and countries, and going to art markets. We enjoy discovering art in new places and finding inspiration in the creativity around us.
Seeing beauty is one thing, but being able to share it with someone else makes the experience so much more meaningful to me. I love being able to discuss what we see, listen to each other’s perspectives, and experience those moments together. Whether we are exploring somewhere completely new or simply spending a day at an art market, I find a lot of happiness in discovering the world alongside someone I love.
For me, happiness comes from creativity, adventure, and having someone to share those experiences with.
Pricing:
- I will leave a link to my link tree where you can order custom art work by DMing me on instagram or tiktok: https://linktr.ee/kenziejasmine?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=54e1b8a3-c104-406c-a4df-aa7a4cfbd2d3
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/kenziejasmine
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbykenziejasmine/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KenzieJasmineArt
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artbykenziejasmine
