What do you do when your senior year is abruptly interrupted by a global pandemic?  You use your new found skills obtained by your school’s new underwater ROV/robotics team for a good cause.

The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted everyone’s lives. No one knows that better than this year’s seniors who found not only their school year halted but also dealing with anxieties about prom, graduation, and extracurricular activities.  

However, Montevallo High School’s Miranda Martin has found solace in using the 3D printing skills she used this year as a member of the new “Ollavetnom” Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle team to help the local healthcare community. Martin and her father – MHS teacher, David Martin, are using the school’s 3D printer to print personal protective equipment (PPE) for local health providers.

According to David Martin, they got the idea from seeing social media posts of students at college using 3D printers to print personal protective equipment. After reaching out to a former student and trying to work out the logistics of it all, Martin saw another social media post detailing a similar project at the University of Montevallo, which is supplying PPE to Shelby Baptist Medical Center.

Martin then contacted the University of Montevallo to offer his and his daughter’s assistance in printing additional equipment, using the model the two UM professors – Michael Price and Kyle Moore – had developed. Martin gained approval for the project from MHS Principal Steve Bromley and moved the school’s 3D printer to his house, where he and Miranda are now cranking out safety masks and face shields as quickly as possible.

The duo passed along their first batch of equipment to the UM professors to add to the ones they were supplying to Shelby Baptist Medical Center last week.

“I am finding the courage to change the things I can in order to make a difference and make the best out of a difficult situation,” said Miranda Martin.