In late March, four CATalyst Studios student interns presented at TENWEST, the largest entrepreneurship and creativity festival in the Southwest. The annual event is hosted by Startup Tucson, a 501c3 that “works to transform Southern Arizona’s economy through entrepreneurship and inclusion.” 

Angelicamaria Gonzalez-Montion, Mariah Estrella, Heather McDowell, and Sol Davis' combined presentation, Create Now, Explain Later, highlighted the many offerings and benefits of our interdisciplinary makerspace including workshops, certifications such as laser cutting and 3D printing, drop-in sessions such as the mending workshop, and much more.

Angelicamaria shared “The Impact of Community," highlighting how CATalyst helped her reclaim identity through making, and how “sewing is portrayed as a transformative act, prompting reflections, identity, heritage and self-representation.”

Mariah spoke on “Thinking is Creative: How Accessibility Changes the Game for Students,” focusing on the importance and value of accessibility, which includes reducing financial barriers. One way CATalyst addresses this issue is by giving every U of A student a one-time $50 credit to use for classes, workshops, materials and more.

Heather discussed her months-long tapestry project, "Generation Z: Generation Unprecedented," which tells a story of 21st century America from the Gen-Z viewpoint. Her 9-foot-tall by 5-foot-wide tapestry combined her creative right brain with her academic left brain, and the finished design was unveiled in December 2025. It is currently on display at the Main Library.

Sol's presentation, “Wrists are Temporary! Nerve Damage is Forever!,” covered taking care of your wrist health and preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. Sol was inspired by the topic because “pretty much every facet of my life is very hand- and wrist-intensive: I play video games, I do traditional and digital art, I’m an avid writer of both genre fiction and more academic work, and my jobs/career path overwhelmingly tend to go into typing-heavy fields."