Senior William Teasley started helping people in schools and on the front lines in hospitals in March, when he began using his 3D printer to create face shields. 

“I started by making them for free for my cousin, who works in the ICU at Community East Hospital. My dad was the one who said we could use some for my cousin, and said that prices had skyrocketed. I knew I could make them for a lot less, so I did,” Teasley said.

He got the design on an open source website called Thingiverse, which is a Pinterest-type website for 3D printer enthusiasts.

“I saw other people online using 3D printers and I thought if I could use that process and make a lot more, that I could start a business,” Teasley said. “There are three main parts when it comes to making the face shields. There’s the viser, the actual plastic part and the elastic band. It takes about an hour and a half to print out the viser part of the shield. Its printing bed is extremely hot, so after the viser has finished printing I have to wait about 20 minutes before I can retrieve it. Then I just have to put the other pieces together, making the entire process take about two hours maximum.”

3D printing usually takes some sort of education, though simple information on how to 3D print can be found online. “I took pre-engineering during freshman year, so that taught me the basics of 3D printing. I also took a C++ class that taught me a bit of coding,” Teasley said.

C++ coding classes are a building block that help in learning object-oriented programming. A C++ class helps a person learn how to create the blueprint for the object, and is a user-defined data type. 

Teasley turned his charity into a business to help local businesses and practices. “I started my company in May but before that I had been donating to (Cathedral) and hospitals.” Teasley added that he also donated to Wheeler Mission, a company that works to provide Christ-centered programs and services to the homeless and those in need as well as to see every man, woman and child they serve equipped to be productive citizens who enjoy lasting success in Christ.

“I’ve sold to around 11 different schools and 10 charter schools, as well as 21st Century Charter,” Teasley said. “I’ve also sold to many local hairdressers, including one in Idaho. I’ve also sold to many different individuals. I’ve sold probably somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 face shields so far.”

Covid-19 has interrupted and affected many peoples’ lives at school and beyond. It has also affected Teasley personally, outside of his company. “Both of my parents are in the age group that is most susceptible to the virus, so it directly threatened my life. I also have asthma, so it was a threat to me,” Teasley said. “One of the effects it has on me was that it shut down two of the clubs I was a part of, the Rocket Club and the French Club. I was the president of the latter.”

Teasley’s company stays strong as he continues to give back to the community.