NEISD student, future engineer invents unique sanitizing stations for school

As drum major, 17-year-old Joshua Kraly is known for his talent as a musician, but many were amazed to discover that he is also an innovative inventor!

“I call this our sanitizing station; it’s pretty universal,” Kraly said.

As the pandemic progressed, the Johnson High School senior decided to help his school by building outdoor hand-washing sinks and touchless water-filling stations.

“We first started with the frame, it’s blue part. We designed this in a program called AutoCAD, which is computer-aided design basically. We got the metal, got it cut up and had it welded. We also had it powder coated, which is a fancy paint so that it last out in the elements and wouldn’t rust,” Kraly explained of the unique design.

He is planning a career in engineering and even connected the sinks to the campus sewer system to prevent water or soap from spilling onto the grounds.

Kraly’s father also helped with the installation and was happy to help.

As a drum major, the Johnson senior leads the school’s marching band.

Just last month, the team even won first place in the UIL 6A state championship.

“It’s really like a second family and I felt like that’s the reason I needed to give back,” Kraly explained.

He said he and fellow students are grateful to have role model teachers on campus.

“They are such great mentors and teach us life skills, not just band. It’s more than just a band class,” Kraly added.

Band director of 13 years, Jarett Lipman, said it’s been incredible to see his students and their families come together in support of the music.

“During the course of the year, we’ve tried multiple things to keep the kids safe, protected and healthy. Some of those things include bell covers on all of the instruments. Our Fine Arts Department also provided us with special face masks that allow the kids to stay masked while they play,” Lipman explained.

And now, adding an extra layer of cleanliness are those sanitizing sinks and touchless hydration stations.

This, thanks to Joshua and donations from the community. 

“It’s kind of cool to see everyone when they go inside the school and wash their hands before school. It’s pretty rewarding to see that,” Kraly said.

But that’s not all!

Joshua also created portable water stations on wheels to be used at football games and has already donated additional units to MacArthur and Roosevelt High School.

Lipman hopes other students will follow Kraly’s lead and recognize that anyone can make an impact.

“We want the kids, especially this year, to understand that whatever obstacles they encounter in life… if they work through them, learn to keep a positive attitude and they go after things with a plan and work ethic, they’re going to find that the sky is the limit,” he explained.  

“We’ve just been blown away at what Josh has been able to do, both as a musician and also an engineer for the program!”

In partnership with other academic disciplines, Fine Arts increases academic achievement, social and emotional development, and civic engagement. 

As a result, students are empowered to use their minds more creatively, inspiring them through diversity in learning to broaden their life experiences.

To learn more about the Fine Arts curriculum in North east ISD, click here: https://www.neisd.net/finearts

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