Xyla Foxlin, engineer and YouTube creator, on creativity and empowering makers

Xyla Foxlin is an engineer and YouTuber with a passion for making things dating back to her early childhood love of art and creative exploration. What began as a way to entertain herself with whatever materials she could find blossomed into a career as a content creator and maker, showcasing her skills crafting everything from a rocket to a sailboat.

In this episode, Xyla and Kevin discuss the challenges she’s faced in the maker space, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the work she’s done to help encourage other women and people of color interested in science, math, and engineering. 

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
02:51 – About Xyla Foxlin
03:50 – Initial interest in engineering
10:52 – Education and girls in STEM
15:31 – Robotics team, theater, and shaping a path in engineering
19:46 – The power of imagination
22:35 – Navigating engineering disciplines at Case Western
27:00 – Journey into startups and demystifying STEM with videos
35:45 – YouTube, content creation and life as a maker
39:54 – On avoiding burnout and staying creative as a content creator
51:14 – Favorite YouTube channels, hobbies and personal interests
1:02:00 – Conclusion

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