My experience with the SRIG program has been positive, insightful, and tremendously beneficial in completing my final thesis capstone project. I am enrolled in the Fashion & Technology program and the Student Research & Innovation Grant allowed me to be exposed to various research methodologies and practice what it means to conduct applied designed research for innovation. I had the opportunity to utilize the resources provided to purchase reference items, specialty supplies and materials, and communicate with industry professionals for mentorship. For my project, I was able to connect with Mustang Survival to develop and construct the inflatable components thanks to the connections of my mentors. Overall, I had a very fruitful and rewarding experience having participated in SRIG, as this experience opened my eyes to future research opportunities and how to transform my designs into reality backed with practical statistics.