When Chaya Jones ’26 toured Berry, she was uncertain about choosing a major. However, Berry’s makerspace, HackBerry Lab, revealed a place where she could work across disciplines. Chaya will graduate with a degree in creative technologies and a strong professional foundation.
Designing with purpose
Human-centered problem-solving and design became a primary focus. In one directed study, Chaya joined a small team to create a light-up dress made from printed circuit boards.
“We wanted to advance electro textiles and make the work feel accessible for women who are curious about STEM,” she says. “It was an artistic, technically complex and female-driven project.”
Through a “design for good” study, Chaya prototyped pressure-sensitive tiles that detect thrashing when a horse falls. Another project took on a professor’s request to serve a cave rescue team relying on heavy wire phones that were difficult to repair. Chaya helped design a lighter, more durable phone using common parts that withstand harsh conditions.
Redefining failure
Through creative technologies, Chaya found belonging in a community that prizes learning by doing. She also gained perspective on reframing failure as iteration and learning.
While building a laser harp project where light beams acted as strings, Chaya short-circuited several laser modules the night before it was due. She rushed to local dollar stores for simple laser pointers, improvising until she had a solution.
“It was not perfect, but it worked,” she reflects. “I frequently repeat to myself a phrase our professors say: ‘Don't let perfection get in the way of progress.’”
As a HackBerry lab assistant who rose to become student director, Chaya mentors students during late-night lab hours and maintains tools.
Experiences beyond Berry
Chaya points to powerful moments of real-world application. She worked in research and development during an internship at Universal in Orlando. She joined a study abroad in Norway, designing digital educational experiences for local schools.
As graduation approaches, Chaya remembers classmates who celebrated small wins and faculty like Zane Cochran, who encouraged her to follow her curiosity. Those relationships helped her grow into someone who feels ready for what comes next.
