About Me

Hello world! My name is Zina Choden Yonten and I am a continuing student from the 2020 cohort. I am from the little, landlocked country of Bhutan. Recently it has been quite popular in the fab commnuity since Fab 17 is being hosted here and the second super fab lab in the world (where I currently work!) is established here in the capital.

With a population of less than 1 million, Bhutan is sandwiched between the two giants China and India. Therefore, we have a strong cultural identity. Here I am in my traditional dress:

I was born in Thimphu and went to primary school there. From grade 6 onwards, I was shipped off to a boarding in India where I finihed high school. I earned my degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Upon graduating, I worked at Alcon Laboratories. However, I returned home in 2019 and started an internship at Fab Lab Bhutan.

This is me at the Tiger’s Nest monastery in Bhutan!

Although I haven’t really resided in Bhutan, I am pretty attached to it. I hope to return to Bhutan to help the country on it’s journey to integrating education with innovation and technology.

Introduction to the Fab World

I first came across a Fablab during a short visit home during the summer of 2019. I was pleasantly surprised to see the level of techology and digital fabrication in the lab. I immediately knew that I had to get myself involved, so I applied for an internship and was accepted as a design engineer intern. During my internship I mainly focused on learning SolidWorks. Due to a lack of trainers, I learned everything through online tutorials and videos. I was able to pass the CSWA and hope to complete the CSWP soon. My advisor at the Fablab noticed my interest in the Fab World and advised me to look into attending the FabAcademy in Boston. One quick google search and I was committed. I was fortunate to have the Fab Academy fees covered by Dassault Systemes and my travel and accomodation expenses by the Royal Office in Bhutan. His Majesty the Fifth King of Bhutan is a huge supporter of promoting STEM education among the youth of Bhutan and with his vision, I believe that the country will soon produce some of the brightest minds in STEM. I will be forever thankful to the office for giving me this amazing opportunity.

Fabacademy 2020

I started my Fab Academy journey in Boston eagerly and I was determined to finish but the world had other plans. Boston was one of the first US cities to go into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, I thought the lab would open back up in about a months time so I flew down to Texas to stay with my sister in the mean time. Oh boy, I don’t think any of us were ready for the wild ride that followed. Not only did the pandemic get worse, I had to fly back home since my parents were worried that I would catch the virus half the world away. Therefore, I was unable to complete my Fab Academy. However, I am thankful for the relationships that I built during my time there. I met some great people and learned a lot from them!

Here I am with my Dassault Systemes buddies:

Rest of 2020

Although the pandemic ruined my Fab Academy plans, 2020 had other things in store for me. I returned home and enrolled to train as a “Desuup” which is comparable to the national guard. This experience was life changing.

This is my graduating class:

I also started interning at DHI (Druk Holdings and Investments), the company that is setting up the Super Fab Lab, later that year. My internship soon turned into a full time job.

Half of team SFL (Super Fab Lab):

2020 was one wild ride to say the least.

Fab Academy 2022

I am now enrolled as a continuing student at Fab Lab, Bhutan. I hope no pandemics cancel this year! Thank you to the Royal Society of STEM Education for this opportunity and to DHI for being ever so supportive.

Now, lets finish this!

Previous work

While at TCU I was part of the senior design team that worked with Klein Tools to come up with a new machine to automate the gluing process in fish rods. Part of my job on the team was prototyping some of the components. I designed them on Autodesk Inventor and then 3D printed them.

During my internship at the Fablab in Bhutan, I was in charge of reverse designing and 3D printing some of the components. I was also responsible for training other interns in SolidWorks.

This is an overview of the model:

These are prototypes of the blocks that I 3D printed:

Other than that, I love playing Basketball. I was honored to represent Bhutan last year in the South Asian Games. I hope to catch a Celtics game before I leave Boston.

Here I am with my team back home:

Hopes and Goals

In the future I hope to work on sustainable energy in Bhutan and also improve the recycling system there.

My short term goal is to just get through the FabAcademy course.