On Friday, March 27th, the Center for Industry Solutions (C4IS) at the University of South Carolina hosted an immersive, hands-on soldering workshop led by Computer Engineering junior and C4IS Fellow, Nathan Wardy.
Designed for students with little to no background in electronics, the workshop brought together more than 35 engineering students from disciplines outside of electrical engineering. For most participants, it was their first time ever soldering.
Learning by Doing
The workshop centered around building a handheld game console, giving students the opportunity to immediately apply what they were learning. As they assembled and soldered components, students gained foundational skills in electronics while seeing their work come to life in real time.
Nathan guided participants step-by-step through the process, creating an environment that was both approachable and technically engaging. By the end of the session, students walked away not only with a working device, but with the confidence to explore electronics on their own.
A Cross-Disciplinary Effort
Behind the scenes, the workshop was a major collaborative effort. In less than 24 hours, over $7,000 worth of equipment was sourced across multiple departments, including Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. This included soldering stations, ventilation systems, safety equipment, tools, and full component kits.
This level of coordination highlights the strength of the university’s collaborative ecosystem and C4IS’s role as a connector across disciplines.
Support came from faculty, staff, and leadership across the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, as well as university safety and communications teams. Student volunteers also played a critical role in ensuring the workshop ran smoothly, assisting participants and reinforcing the collaborative learning environment.
Empowering Future Innovators
At its core, this workshop reflects the mission of C4IS: to make advanced technology accessible and provide students with hands-on, real-world experiences that prepare them for industry.
By removing barriers to entry and creating opportunities for experiential learning, students are empowered to take initiative, build confidence, and apply their skills beyond the classroom.
As Nathan demonstrated through this workshop, innovation doesn’t start with expertise, it starts with action.
Most students entered the room having never soldered before. They left with something they built themselves, and the skills to keep building.
