BY MIA PENNEKAMP ’20
In the new Mount Holyoke Makerspace, sunlight shines through the large floor-to-ceiling windows from the lake outside and pools around alum Shani Mensing ’15. Mensing’s role within the newly constructed space is the Fimble Maker Innovation Lab Coordinator and Technical Specialist — but she was also there from the beginning, when the Makerspace was just a small room and a big idea.
Mensing grew up in the South Florida sunshine on Miami Beach. She describes herself as a shy child who was always fascinated by technology. Mensing never dreamt of pursuing her technical interests or looking out of state for college. “I’m dyslexic, so some things came hard to me,” she said of her early education. Her twin sister, along with her high school counselor, encouraged her to apply for a Posse Foundation Leadership Scholarship.
Mensing was hesitant to apply for Posse at first. She said, “I didn’t know if I could do it, I’ve always been in more of a support role, and I didn’t know if I had these leadership abilities.” Eventually though, she found herself drawn to the idea of this merit-based scholarship that seeks to look more fully at the kind of person you are. “I loved being seen for who I am as an individual and not off of need-based or anything else,” said Mensing, who was ultimately chosen as one of 10 scholars to make up Mount Holyoke’s second Miami Posse. She became a Mount Holyoke student as part of the class of 2011, a yellow sphinx year. She admits it is funny to see a full turnover of colors since she graduated in 2015, with this year’s graduating sphinxes.
It was during her first semester at Mount Holyoke that she expressed an interest in web design. Her advisors, Professors Leah Glasser and Kathy Odollal, urged her to consider programming. She enrolled in Computer Science 101 with Professor Audrey St. John, where she fell in love with computer science. In her sophomore year, she was asked to stay on campus over the summer to help create an experimental course which would later become the iDesign Studio. The next semester, she was hired to help teach the class alongside St. John. Out of the 14 students in that first class, four graduated as computer science majors, a fact that Mensing remains proud of to this day.
Photo by Emma Chaffee ’22
Eight years later, Mensing is here in the newly renovated Makerspace. Mensing has facilitated the evolution of the Makerspace from one room and a lot of ideas to what it is today. She now leads workshops, class visits, equipment trainings and oversees a group of student workers that she trains. She takes inspiration for her student staff from a lot of the community building she learned while working stage crew as a Mount Holyoke student.
“I think I fell in love with Mount Holyoke early on. It was hard to walk on campus and not be stunned,” Mensing said. “I felt incredibly lucky to go to school here, and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work here.” She acknowledged how a few things have changed since her time as a student, and described a “Hunger Games”-esque housing lottery process called “the fishbowl” where the entirety of the school used to gather in an auditorium to be read their fates aloud. She’s happy to be working in Prospect and commented “I love the light.”
On the weekends, Mensing can be found around the Pioneer Valley, driving her Jeep, going off-roading, fishing, tubing and drinking hazy beers. In addition to her many accomplishments, she is 16 beers away from completing a tasting list of 153 in a year, in order to qualify for a membership month at one of her favorite local spots. When she’s not at The Moan and Dove in Amherst or working on her Jeep, she can be found back on campus. “I love my work, which is a dorky thing to say, but if I can get a chance to continue to develop my skills in the shop spaces I try to do that,” said Mensing. Looking to the future, Mensing added that “it’s just been an amazing eight years — it’s been a privilege to be able to be inspired by and inspire students [...] I feel grateful to get to stay in the Mount Holyoke community and get to know so many more individuals.” Mensing is easily recognizable for her kind, thoughtful and positive presence on campus — wherever she goes, a bit of light and sunshine follows.
as a Mount Holyoke student. “I think I fell in love with Mount Holyoke early on. It was hard to walk on campus and not be stunned,” Mensing said. “I felt incredibly lucky to go to school here, and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work here.” She acknowledged how a few things have changed since her time as a student, and described a “Hunger Games”-esque housing lottery process called “the fishbowl” where the entirety of the school used to gather in an auditorium to be read their fates aloud. She’s happy to be working in Prospect and commented “I love the light.” On the weekends, Mensing can be found around the Pioneer Valley, driving her Jeep, going off-roading, fishing, tubing and drinking hazy beers. In addition to her many accomplishments, she is 16 beers away from completing a tasting list of 153 in a year, in order to qualify for a membership month at one of her favorite local spots. When she’s not at The Moan and Dove in Amherst or working on her Jeep, she can be found back on campus. “I love my work, which is a dorky thing to say, but if I can get a chance to continue to develop my skills in the shop spaces I try to do that,” said Mensing. Looking to the future, Mensing added that “it’s just been an amazing eight years — it’s been a privilege to be able to be inspired by and inspire students [...] I feel grateful to get to stay in the Mount Holyoke community and get to know so many more individuals.” Mensing is easily recognizable for her kind, thoughtful and positive presence on campus — wherever she goes, a bit of light and sunshine follows.