To paraphrase Emily Dickinson, Makayla Edwards dwells in possibility.
That's why she's studying mechanical engineering technology at Pellissippi State, and why she's pursuing her interest of additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing.
"What excites me about 3D printing is everything that is possible. There's nothing that can't be made," Edwards said.
She's so fascinated by the technology, in fact, that she built her own 3D printer from a kit.
"I'm the kind of person who, if I want to learn how to do something, I just go right out and do it. There was nothing that could teach me about 3D printing but going out and putting money into it, and forcing myself to learn how to use it," Edwards said. "It took me two weeks to make a 1-inch by 1-inch cube, and that was so important because once I could make a perfect one of those, I knew my printer was perfectly calibrated.
"To everyone else, that's really simple. But to me, that was really great."
Edwards loves the problem-solving aspect of 3D printing, from trouble-shooting to designing an object to print. She predicts that 3D printers will eventually be as common as desktop printers; they'll be something many people have at home.
"That way, if something at your house breaks and you need a new part, you just print one," Edwards said. "That's what I look forward to."
For her part, she hopes to put her engineering technology skills to use in her love of outdoor recreation. She'd like to be able to 3D print the joints of a bicycle frame and fit them to a frame she builds herself out of bamboo.
Edwards intends to earn her four-year degree, but beyond that, she doesn't have concrete plans.
"I don't know what my future holds. I'm getting pulled in all kinds of different directions, and I'm not going to say no to an opportunity. Who knows? I might work at Oak Ridge or NASA or a bike shop."