The term "Renaissance Man" comes from fifteenth-century Italy and refers to the idea of a person with knowledge and skills in a number of different areas. One of the most archetypal examples of a Renaissance Man is Leonardo da Vinci: artist, inventor, scientist, and legend has it that he was even able to jump over a standing man. Graduating senior Nicholas McConnell (Nico) might not be able to jump over a man, but he is a person very accustomed to jumping over literal and figurative hurdles: “I like hurdles. It’s the only thing that makes life fun!”
Originally from the USA, Nico moved to Germany at age 7. “I have some family roots in the American South. We are a little like Tennessee-rednecks, so our garage would be full of junk that no one needed. When I was young, I would just go into the garage and start building random stuff. That was the birth of my inventive spirit.”
There is an old proverb that says, “necessity is the mother of invention”. In Nico’s case, inheriting ADD from his father necessitated his invention. “My father has ADD also, and his teachers would make him feel bad about his need to fidget. I felt like I was distracting other students in class with my fidgeting because I was always clicking a pen or using fidgeting spinners (fidgeting tools designed for students with attention deficits). I felt bad about that. So, I decided to create a solution.”
MIS’s Maker’s Lab and Design Classrooms became an upscale version of his grandparents’ Tennessee ‘garage’, providing him with tools like Computer-aided design software, 3D printers, laser cutters, and materials to bring his ideas to life. Nico decided to design and prototype fidget devices that could be mounted to the underside of tables or the floor so other students wouldn’t be distracted. In the banner image below, this fidget device is designed for the floor, so students can fidget with their feet under the table.
In addition to being an inventor, Nico resembles a modern-day Renaissance man in many other ways. He is an entrepreneur! At 17 years old, he became a certified alpine ski instructor. He teaches skiing, refurbishes vintage furniture pieces from eBay, runs a pet-sitting business, and does gardening & lawn management.
Like da Vinci, Nico is also an athlete. When he was younger, Nico played competitive baseball and skied, of course. He is currently training for his first Spartan Race, a long-distance race full of hurdles and obstacles – his favorite thing!
Nico has a lot to look forward to: His first Spartan Race is in two weeks in Innsbrook. After he returns from the Class of 2025’s senior trip in Ibiza, Nico will be pursuing a degree in Technical Design & Engineering from Deggendorf Institute of Technology. The college’s hands-on, project-based learning model is the perfect choice for a student/Renaissance Man who likes inventions, solutions, and has a spirit of adventure.
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