Senior Aimee Snell (far right) pictured with Missouri S&T Ballet Club members (from left to right) Marsha Wisely, Lindsey Schobert, Jessica Seals, Myah West, Vicki McKinney and Kathy Withrow. Photo by B.A. Rupert
When Aimee Snell graduates, she wants to design roller coasters. For now, the senior at Missouri S&T is concentrating on earning her mechanical engineering degree. But she also finds time to be president of the university’s Ballet Club.
The Ballet Club, which was started last year by students, attracts people of various skill levels. Snell, who helps instruct other students in the art, has been taking ballet since she was 8.
The club plans to produce a family-friendly production each year. Last year, they put on a production of Sleeping Beauty. This school year, during the spring semester, they are going to do Mary Poppins.
Club members practice three times a week. Sixteen students participated in Sleeping Beauty. Snell says they are always looking for people to join, and that they need more male students. “We had four guys in Sleeping Beauty,” she says. “We give them parts they wouldn’t be embarrassed to do.”
In an anticipation of graduating after next semester, Snell, who is from Simi Valley, Calif., has already applied to Disney World, where she hopes to pursue her roller coaster plans.
“I like wooden roller coasters,” says the dancer/mechanical engineering student (who also happens to be on the cross country team at S&T). “One of my favorites is The Prowler at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City.”
By Lance Feyh
I am an incoming freshman and I also dream of building roller coasters. Is there any advice you may have to appeal to Disney or other design companies?
I graduated last year from Rolla with my ME degree, and spent some time working for Premier Rides out in Baltimore helping design several roller coasters. The biggest advice I would have to give is to show your passion. Do projects outside of school that focus on roller coasters, apply what you are learning in class to the real world. I spent hours designing model rides, applying what I was learning in the physics classes at the time. When it comes time to start looking for an internship or co-op, those kind of things make a difference.