Evan Sepe ’20 Lends a Hand
hen it came time for Evan Sepe, a sophomore at
Xaverian, to propose an Eagle Scout project, he
knew that he wanted to literally give someone a
hand. Evan had heard from a former teacher at his
alma mater, Blessed Sacrament School, that there
is a movement to create prosthetic hands using 3D printers. He pursued
the idea and, with connections made from Natick to India and help from
the community, Evan assembled six hands (three left and three right) for
people in need using a design from e-Nable.
e-Nable is a global, open source online community where people
donate their ideas and their time to design, improve, and distribute
prosthetic hands to those in need. Visitors to the site can purchase a hand
design that is ready to print via a 3D printer. The remaining pieces needed
for assembly are available in a kit for $25 each. Not having a 3D printer of
his own and unsure of how to locate someone in need of a prosthetic, Evan
began researching, making connections, and asking for help.
From the e-Nable site, he found Dr. Chris Craft, who works with
students in South Carolina to distribute hands via, “the Hand Challenge,”
a project he launched with one of his classes. Evan also found out that the
Morse Institute at the Natick Community Library has a 3D printer, and
the staff there was willing to donate the materials and the time it takes
to print the parts. With the kits from e-Nable, the connection to people
in need of a prosthetic from Dr. Craft, and the parts being printed at the
Morse Institute, all that was left for Evan to do was to assemble the pieces
and ship out the hands. As it turns out, assembly isn’t all that simple. “The
hands were a little harder than we anticipated to assemble, but everyone
was good about it and we all got it done,” said Evan. He and fellow Boy
Scout volunteers worked together to build the hands and string together
the movement mechanisms. Once fully assembled, Evan shipped the
hands to Dr. Craft, who delivered them to six recipients in India.
With his Eagle Scout project completed, one might think Evan
would stop there. He didn’t. He came to school and talked to Jim
Conley, Director of Campus Ministry, about continuing the work here at
Xaverian. This spring, students volunteered to help Evan assemble three
more hands, once again using parts printed off-campus and distributed
through Dr. Craft. What’s next? Evan looks forward to expanding the
project in-house now that the school has its own 3D printer, thanks to a
generous donation by Peter Perez ’15.
“For me, this project is a great way to link these two communities
together,” Evan said. He’s referring to the Boy Scouts and Xaverian. Evan
noted that there are a lot of similarities between the two organizations.
Both provide leadership and opportunities to try new things, and
both allow for mentorship between students. He added, “Also the
communities — the community through the Scouts and the community
through Xaverian — are both very tight. We all look out for each other.”
With this project, Evan is helping these two local communities look out
for and lend a hand to people throughout the world.
he family of Lt. Colonel Gerald “Rob” Faunce
’85 has established a scholarship in his name.
A graduate of the Class of 1985, Rob earned a
degree at Suffolk University’s School for International
Economics before proudly dedicating his life to
serving his country in the U.S. Army. He served in
Korea, Berlin, and at the Pentagon. He also conducted
tours of duty in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan (Bronze
Star). He was an Army Ranger/Airborne with the 1st
Infantry Division.
His mother, Mary, and his brothers, Michael ’86
and Matthew ’91, established the $100,000 scholarship
in Rob’s name after his passing. The scholarship will go
to families in need of tuition assistance who desire a
Xaverian education.
Lt. Colonel Gerald R. Faunce ’85 Scholarship
Create a Legacy
with a Scholarship
Gifts of $50,000 or more will
provide a named scholarship in the
student financial aid program. Such
gifts can honor or memorialize a
family member or friend, or the
benefactor. To create a named
scholarship fund, contact Larry
Furey, P ’21, Assistant Headmaster
for Advancement, at 781-801-1620
or lfurey@xbhs.com.
Mary Faunce and her sons, Michael ’86,
and Matthew ’91 (not pictured) created a
scholarship fund in memory of their son and
brother, Lt. Colonel Gerald Faunce ’85.
Evan looks forward to
expanding the project
in-house now that the
school has its own 3D
printer, thanks to a
generous donation by
Peter Perez ’15.
Summer 2018 Xaverian Magazine 5