Meet the Team

The WPI Construction Team is comprised of six members:  Matthew D. Connolly, Michael Delph, Cailin Folta, Samson King, Stephanie Klegraefe, and Julianne Leaver.  The team was originally four members assembled to construct an addition on a crèche.  During the third week of preparation, the team was informed that their project had changed and they were to be building a playground.  The team was excited about the project change and enthusiastically went to work researching playground building techniques.  The fourth week, the team was informed their project had been changed again, this time they were to build a community hall and design a playground.  This same week the team was informed that there had been a minor snag in other projects and that their team was going to inherit two new members.  After the addition of the two new members, the team’s project did not change until they reached Cape Town, when they discovered that they would no longer be constructing a community hall.  For a day the team did not know what their project was, or what kind of work it would entail.  When they did get their final project, they learned that they had two dynamic projects: to rebuild a roof and make various repairs to an existing community hall and to design and install a sanitation system for new Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading facility.  Throughout their time in Cape Town, the team was able to successfully complete their projects and make a visible difference in the lives of the residents of Monwabisi Park.

Juli, Sam, Cailin, Matt, Steph, Mike

Matthew D. Connolly

Matt is a Mechanical Engineer at WPI. He’s president of the WPI Sailing Team and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. He loves Rocket Ship Park, fixing things (after he’s broken them), the outdoors, and rock climbing.

Michael Delph

Mike is a Robotics Engineering major, an Alpha Phi Omega pledge, a part of the ESC of the Society of Martial Arts (SOMA), and a Kendo instructor. In his spare time he likes to invent things and enjoys playing video games. He is also a huge fan of Rocket Ship Park, the source of Matt and Mike’s bonding.

Cailin Folta

Cailin is a Biomedical Engineering major.  She is a sister of Alpha Gamma Delta, a Crimson Key tour guide, and a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Biomedical Engineering Society.  She likes going to the beach, sailing, reading, exploring, and camping.

Samson King

Sam is a Robotics Engineering major, and a member of the 2012 Class Board. In his spare time he likes building things, repairing cars, Googling random things, and avoiding sitting on benches. He likes cats, cars, the outdoors, Maine, and music. The jack-of-all trades of the group, Sam has built almost everything at least once, including a car, projector, fish tank, and more.

Stephanie Klegraefe

Steph is a Mechanical Engineer major.  She is a sister of Alpha Gamma Delta, a member of WPI’s Social Committee, Order of Omega, and Up ‘Til Dawn. Outside of school, she enjoys swimming, cycling, reading, struggling, and laughing.

Julianne Leaver

Juli is a Chemical Engineering major. She is a sister of Alpha Gamma Delta, a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, a member of Tau Beta Pi and Order of Omega, president of Newman Club, and a member of SocComm and Colleges Against Cancer.  She enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.

Contact the Team:

Email: ct10construct@wpi.edu

Contact the Project Centre at: ctpc@wpi.edu