Dover High School senior Aiden Springer uses love of music and engineering to help others

Editor's Note: The Times-Reporter is profiling one senior from each of the school districts in Tuscarawas County coinciding with graduation. They were nominated by school administrators.

DOVER ‒ Aiden Springer, a senior at Dover High School, has been able to merge his two passions ‒ music and engineering ‒ into a project that has helped a fifth-grader at Dover enjoy a more fulfilling life.

For the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) annual showcase at Buckeye Career Center this month, Springer, son of Emily and Nathan Springer, designed a device that helps the fifth-grader, who was born without his right hand, be able to play the violin. Without a right hand, the student is unable to handle a bow.

Springer was approached to create the device by his orchestra director, David Rutter. They worked on it together.

"The coolest part about the project is that it’s extremely reproducible and for little cost. So, if another student somewhere finds themselves with the same challenge, we could just share the necessary files with another orchestra program and boom we just made the violin more accessible," Rutter said.

Aspiring photographer: Senior Spotlight: Indian Valley's Natalie Holbrook looks to career in photography

Springer's project earned second place at the Project Lead the Way Showcase.

The student is already using his device. "I will always be looking at ways to make it better," Springer said.

He enjoyed working on the project. "I was happy to have this experience. It was awesome. I definitely like helping others, and I thought this was a really cool way to be able do that because it bridges both my music interests and engineering interests."

Playing the violin since age 4

Springer has loved music since an early age.

"When I was little, I would listen to songs on the radio and just sit down at the piano and try to figure out the melody, or so I'm told," he said. "I don't remember that. So, I've just always loved listening to music and making music. I begged my mom to get me a violin when I was 4. I've just played ever since, and I love listening to all kinds of music and just making all kinds of music."

He plays five instruments ‒ violin, guitar, ukulele, tenor saxophone and drum set. He is active in Dover's orchestra program, marching band, symphonic band, jazz band and steel band.

Engineering classes

He began taking Project Lead the Way classes last year. The classes are designed to provide students with in-demand skills in science and engineering. "It's just fun to me. I like it," he said of the classes. "I like the creativity mixed with the mathematic side of it, and how it all goes together."

Springer plans on studying mechanical engineering in college.

His dream job ‒ totally unrelated to his interests in music and engineering ‒ would be in the motorsports industry. He just recently purchased a racing Go Kart.

Springer also plans on keeping up with his involvement in music after he graduates from college.

'Kindness and selflessness'

His high school principal, Brooke Grafe, has high praise for him.

"I have known Aiden since he was a little boy," she said. "I was his elementary principal and then again his high principal. So, it's been fun to watch him grow. Aiden has got one of those special type of minds that you can see the merger of science, math and music all together. Not everyone has that type of ability or that type of gift to be able to merge those things, and he really does. I've been so proud of him because what the (PTLW) project shows is how selfless he really is.

"We know he's bright, he's funny and he's a musician, but the kindness that he has and the selflessness he had, I think are the most important characteristics that he possesses."

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Dover's Aiden Springer loves music, engineering, helping others