Mentor Reflection

Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of being mentored by my good friend and colleague Machin Wrubinski. Machin is a qualified engineer from Poland, which means that he spent not three years studying for a degree in engineering but seven years. While his verbal English is astoundingly good, his written English is less so. Therefore he agreed to act as my mentor on the condition that he was not required to write anything in English. This is why there are no entries on my blog from him.

It has been very rewarding, being able to speak to somebody about engineering. I love talking about all the amazing things I have learned, but my wife (an artist) just nods and smiles. Machin therefore has been a blessed relief, providing feedback on my understanding of subjects and correcting me when I have missed the point.

Perhaps my best discussion with him was on the subject of a mountain bike design I came up with when I was a teenager. I even went as far as applying for a patent on it, but never followed through with final designs and a prototype. This is something I have regretted for a long time. I no longer care if the design has potential in the market place, I want to complete it for my own personal satisfaction. Machin understood my design straight away and has offered to help me build a prototype when I have finished the final designs. Who knows maybe it would make a good final year project.