Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1181966
72 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2019 ple will think if I mess up or accidentally land a kite on them. Matties: Aside from that, when it's roped off, and you're performing to music, how do you feel? Cardin Nguyen: I think of myself in an empty spot, keep my eye on the kite, and try to do whatever I can to follow the music. It's really fun, and it makes me happy to know how to do it. Matties: And then at the end, when you land, and people cheer and clap, that has to make you feel pretty special. Cardin Nguyen: It does. Matties: Dylan, what about you? Dylan Nguyen: I really enjoy that part of kite fly- ing. Last summer, after I performed to "When You Say Nothing At All," a woman walked up to us and cried. Watching me fly to the emotional song reminded her so much of her husband, who was incarcerated, that she called him right after, and they talked for the longest time. I used to fly to get away from a dark period of being bullied. Now, when I fly, I think about the posi - tive impact I have on people. It's great. Matties: You touch people's lives in ways that you don't even understand or know some- times. It's incredible how people react to kites and kite flying, especially with you two, because your passion is noticeable and people feel your energy. As I've watched you two fly, I see people react amazingly to what you're doing. You're helping make the world be a bet- ter place. What advice would you both give to a young kite flyer? Cardin Nguyen: First, try to learn basic tech- niques; don't just attempt difficult tricks. You will learn new things from people. And once you get better and better, you can make up new moves, and you'll be happy about yourself. Dylan Nguyen: Don't run if you can't walk. Everybody starts somewhere. Matties: Thank you for sharing your story. Dylan Nguyen: Thank you. Cardin Nguyen: Thanks, Barry. Dylan's project won first place in elec- trical engineering, a Naval Science Award from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize at the dis- trict science fair. At the 2019 Intel Northwest Science Expo, Dylan's project placed first in energy and earned another Naval Science Award as well as a Ricoh Sustainable Devel- opment Award. Even though it did not win the best of fair, to be entered in the next round of judging out of 330 projects was a great honor. Dylan was also among the top 10% of middle school scientists nationwide to compete in Broadcom MASTERS 2019 (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars). SMT007