Editor's Note: Ayanvitta Kalsi, a Grade 8 student at Tsinghua International School (THIS), recently shot to fame in the school community and beyond with her newly, independently developed 3D-printed whale-shaped computer mouse.
THIS community first learned about Ayanvitta's achievement during the latest Middle School Assembly when a short video clip that featured her functional, 3D-printed "Whaley Mouse" captured the entire audience. Soon afterwards, a local publication oriented to international communities in Beijing spread the influence, too.
Right before the Chinese New Year holiday, Ayanvitta agreed to share how her classroom instructions at THIS fueled her real-world innovation, and how she has experienced growth in this process.
Boredom-Driven Innovation
Ayanvitta began her project as a creative solution to her family's screen-time rules, a common scenario in many households with a school-age child.
But her boredom – mixed with creative energy – did not just lead to frustration; it pushed her to find a productive outlet and gave her the space to create something both functional and cool.
Always an enthusiast of 3D printing since Grade 3, Ayanvitta started to focus more on it and mulling whether she could create something functional.
The animal-shaped computer mouse was her choice.
"My boredom pushed me to find a productive outlet," she said, highlighting self-directed learning encouraged at THIS, an international school environment that encourages students to explore personal interests.
Classroom Theory Meets Hands-On Innovation
The technical core of her project was forged in THIS STEAM classes. The 3D modeling skills she learned using Tinkercad in Grade 7, under the guidance of Ms. Grace Ma and Mr. Paul Moon, provided the essential toolkit. This practical, project-based curriculum is a hallmark of THIS approach, designed to translate theoretical knowledge into tangible outcomes.
But Ayanvitta spent most of the design and production time at home, especially on weekends when she had more free time after finishing schoolwork. Besides, her own 3D printer at home provided more accessibility and flexibility to experiment.
Hard Start vs. Positive Perspective
She had a difficult start – like most such stories. There were difficulties, especially with the prototype. The initial sketch to product phase took the most time, especially as she "iterated" through multiple designs, tested prototypes, and worked out the details.
As Ayanvitta put it, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect, so the process of tweaking, reprinting, and refining took a lot of patience and dedication. She ended up wasting a lot of filaments during the trial-and-error phase.
"It was a very time-consuming process. It took me six months to reach the final product."
"It was a very time-consuming process. It took me six months to reach the final product because these were weekend projects that I worked on alongside my studies and other commitments," Ayanvitta said.
But she viewed that as part of the learning process—the failures were necessary steps toward figuring out what worked and what did not. Bearing her end goal in mind, she made each mistake bring her closer to achievement. She kept refining her designs and experimenting until everything came together.
In the end, her determination andperseverance paid off.
"It was about learning through each mistake and figuring out how to make my designs better with every attempt. "
Ayanvitta said, recalling the joy: "I ended up with something I was proud of. It wasn't just about getting the mouse to work—it was about learning through each mistake and figuring out how to make my designs better with every attempt."
Ayanvitta named her product "Whaley Mouse", an apparent reference to its shape.
From School Project to Socially Conscious Venture
Now with a polished prototype, Ayanvitta's vision extends beyond personal achievement.
She is pursuing commercialization, having submitted the Whaley Mouse to product companies, and plans to introduce a companion animal design soon.
She declines to reveal what animal her next computer mouse would resemble, but implies that her future products will feature simple and consistent designs to make them more recognizable.
Her intended business model would reflect the global-minded values emphasized at THIS: she pledges 30 percent of any profits to charity, reinvesting the remainder into her creative enterprise.
"I hope to connect with more like-minded people passionate about innovation."
Reflecting on her future, she sees this as the ideal ground for continued growth. "I hope to connect with more like-minded people passionate about innovation," she said, pointing to the collaborative, academically diverse environment at THIS where ideas clashes and take new forms.
Growth in Ayanvitta's View
Her story offers compelling evidence of how students at THIS enjoy full liberty to engage in innovation endeavors alongside their study.
Actually, Innovation is among the Core Values THIS upholds. By weaving together rigorous academics and creative freedom, such an environment does more than educate—it transforms students into creators and entrepreneurs.
As an eighth grader, Ayanvitta has years to spend at her beloved THIS. Looking ahead, she is excited about the growth she will experience in many areas.
Academically, she wants to continue to improve her technical skills and deepening her understanding of design and engineering, especially in STEAM-related subjects.
Personally, she expects to become more confident in her creative abilities and refine her problem-solving skills, especially when tackling more complex projects.
Socially, she hopes to connect with more like-minded people who are also passionate about innovation and creativity.
"I think being part of such a supportive community will help me grow both as a student and as an individual, and I'm excited for what's ahead!"
Bernard Geoxavier, Associate Head of Secondary at THIS lauds that Ayanvitta's extracurricular projects is "an shining example of what happens when healthy boredom meets creativity with a purpose and intent."
"What made us as a school the most proud was Ayanvitta's resolve to give back to her community—pledging 30 percent of her profits to one of our school’s charitable partners," said Geoxavier.
"As a young pioneer willing to serve as an example to others we knew her achievement was worth showcasing."
At a recent peer sharing session for younger students, Ayanvitta showed them how she turned "boredom" into "creation" using scattered moments on weekends.
The little Whaley Mouse she made has inspired more students at THIS to believe that innovation does not have to wait until they grow up—right here, right now, they can start building their own world.
