Ahren Becker / Mechanical Engineering

I design it.
Then I make
it work.

I'm Ahren Becker. A mechanical engineering student turning ideas into working hardware, useful objects, and playable worlds.

Based in Naperville, IL / Built with curiosity
On the bench01 / 03
AeroVolt wind turbine · studio render of the original CAD assemblyCAD / STUDIO RENDER

MECHANICAL DESIGN

AeroVolt

Ideas.
Made real.

01 / Selected work

Made to work.

From a CAD model to a working build.
The decisions, the iterations, and my part in each.

Coursework

Team projects · Shared builds, individual contributions.

Personal projects

Independent design, fabrication, and integration.

Ahren's gray 2017 Mustang GT beside a snowy lakeside, with its red taillights reflected on wet pavement
2017 Mustang GT · Personal mechanical project

Personal automotive work

2017 Mustang GT

Hands-on mechanical upgrades across intake and exhaust, braking, suspension, wheels and tires, steering, aero, and interior components.

Component compatibility and mechanical troubleshooting, alongside ECU calibrations I wrote, flashed, datalogged, and refined.

Ask me about this work

From design to delivery

Across the workbench.

A practical toolkit for making physical systems work.

Mechanical design & CAD

SolidWorks · Parts & assemblies · Engineering drawings

Prototyping & testing

Fabrication · Assembly · Fit testing · Troubleshooting

ECU calibration & datalogging

Engine control unit calibration and recorded operating data

Microcontrollers & electronics

Arduino · Sensors & motors · C/C++ · Python integration

Additive manufacturing

PLA · PETG · TPU · PA-CF
Material selection, fit, and print iteration

Project planning & proposals

RFP responses · WBS · Gantt charts · SOW
Budgets, scope, and timelines

02 / Small things, solved

Everyday objects.
Considered details.

03 / THE PERSON BEHIND IT
Ahren Becker in a suit and tie
Ahren BeckerBuilder. Always learning.

Nice to meet you.

A little curiosity.
A lot of
follow-through.

I'm a mechanical engineering student at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. I like moving between the screen and the workbench—modeling a part, making a prototype, and figuring out what it can teach me.

Outside the build, I tutor STEM and bring the same preparation and teamwork I learned with North Central's 2024 national-championship football team.

Mechanical EngineeringNorth Central College · May 20282024 NCAA Division III National ChampionNorth Central College football · Tight end
A little more on paper
Ahren Becker running onto the field with his North Central College football teammates
North Central College football · Preparation. Accountability. Teamwork.

Beyond the workbench

Show up.
Listen. Follow through.

Football taught me to prepare before anyone is watching, take coaching seriously, and keep working when progress is slow. Being part of North Central's 2024 national-championship team made those habits part of how I work.

I bring that same approach to engineering: communicate clearly, stay accountable to the people beside me, and lead through consistent effort.

The approach / From the workbench

Make. Learn. Repeat.

A drawing is a starting point.
The useful part is what happens next.

Native CAD render · four textured rings and a white bolt-action body

01 / Make the idea inspectable

Give the idea
a shape.

Start with the layout, clearances, and how the parts need to move. A CAD render makes the shape and assembly easier to inspect.

Sensory pen: the original CAD assembly, with four textured rings and the updated finish study.

Explore the sensory pen

04 / Interactive work

In development

RUNTIME

Independent game development

Built for
one more try.

A precision platformer built around movement, level design, and the satisfaction of getting it right. Another way I turn an idea into something you can experience.

A fresh look at the game is coming with the next showcase.

Ask me about RUNTIME
Movement. Iteration. Play.Made by Ahren Becker

Have something in mind?

Let's make
something work.

ahren.becker13@gmail.com

Projects, progress, and professional connections.

Back to the work

Project detail

MADE BY AHREN / ON PAPER

Mechanical engineering · design & prototyping

Ahren Becker

North Central College · B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Minor in Business Economics · Expected May 2028

Download official résumé

Selected engineering work

SureShift transmission · Team coursework

Co-designed and assembled four forward ratios and reverse. Authored the 18-page drawing package and refined fit and alignment through 40+ printed gear prototypes.

AeroVolt wind turbine · Team coursework

Helped replace a failed belt drive with a direct generator connection. Designed custom SolidWorks parts and drawings; the team placed first in class for power output.

Desktop Companion · Independent

Built a printed desktop controller with a display and three multifunction buttons, C++ device software, and a Python bridge to Windows.

NANO DEFENDER · Independent

Designed and built a smartphone-controlled Arduino Nano robot with Bluetooth commands, motor and steering control, a status display, and distance-based stopping.

Tools & technical skills

SolidWorks · part and assembly modeling · engineering drawings · FDM 3D printing · fit testing · C/C++ · Python · Arduino · sensors and motors · Excel · technical reporting.

Proposal preparation: work breakdown structures, statements of work, budgets, Gantt charts, and timelines.

Experience & education

Self-employed Math & STEM Tutor · 2026–present
Photography Specialist, Dynamic Photo Systems & event photography · 2017–present
North Central College Football, tight end · 2024 national-championship team

Current coursework: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations, Dynamics, Electromechanics. Dean's List, Spring 2026; Academic All-Conference (CCIW), 2025.

ahren.becker13@gmail.com