The Sanjay Mortimer Foundation announced its first Rising Star awardee.
The foundation is named after Sanjay Mortimer, the co-founder of E3D-Online, who unexpectedly passed away at a very young age in 2021. His company, now known as E3D, is one of the leading companies producing high-quality components used in many well-known 3D printer brands.
After his passing, a foundation was organized in 2022 to support up and coming engineers suffering from ADHD, the same diagnosis as Mortimer.
The foundation’s noble mission is to assist neurodivergent engineers:
“Founded in 2022, the SMF’s mission is to help those with neurodivergent minds recognise their strengths and talents through engineering and making. They do this by providing grant funding, resources, internships etc to young neurodivergent individuals who find an outlet in engineering and making.”
This year the foundation has selected and awarded its first “Rising Star” award to 16-year-old Zac Smith.
Smith related his experience:
“These engineering projects and activities have been life changing, they have boosted my confidence and transformed me from a boy who struggled to communicate, lacked the ability to socialise and found daily life extremely challenging into someone who looks forward to each new day and the opportunities it brings. Thank you to the SMF for seeing promise in me.”
The foundation explains their selection in a press release:
“Zac’s brief but full-on development to date, as explained by himself and in his submission by his teachers, was despite and then, very probably, because of his various diagnosed neurodiversities.”
There’s something important to note in that statement: “because of his” diagnoses. This is a common misconception that neurodiversities are always negative. Sometimes they are not and can provide great abilities not normally available.
The foundation explains how this happens:
“The Sanjay Mortimer Foundation (SMF) was established after the death of Sanjay Mortimer – a co-founder of E3D-Online. Sanjay suffered with ADHD but confronted the challenges posed by his condition, by transforming it into his superpower – enabling him to defy conventions, question the status quo & elevate 3D printing innovation.”
This is a lesson for all, whether you are in school, work, or just everyday life: neurodivergent people are not necessarily disadvantaged; they just may have superpowers you cannot easily see.
