When Taïno Hutchinson moved to the United States at 16 amid political unrest in Haiti, he brought with him more than memories of home. He also carried a passion for technology and a belief that engineering could make life better for people facing difficult circumstances.

Now a sophomore in computer engineering at Missouri S&T, Hutchinson continues to build on his desire to solve problems and help others.

“Technology and engineering have always been important to me,” Hutchinson says. “I have always been interested in building things, designing irrigation systems with microcontrollers, creating locks with electronics and just experimenting to see what problems I could solve.”

Hutchinson traces his interest in computer engineering back to his childhood.

“When I was really young, I watched the movie Iron Man and saw someone use engineering to become a kind of superhero for people he cared about,” he says. “That idea stayed with me. It’s inspiring to think about how you could build something and use it to help others.”

Growing up in Haiti, Hutchinson says power outages were frequent, and concerns about safety shaped everyday routines.

He describes his upbringing as a dual life. His mother is Haitian, and his father is from St. Louis. This led to him spending summers in Missouri and the rest of the year in Haiti.

“I love my culture in Haiti, but it can also be a scary place,” he says. “I lived right down the road from where President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021. Once, during all the chaos, I even rode a motorcycle through a wall of fire. It sounds crazy, but that was just life.”

After moving to Missouri permanently, Hutchinson attended Christian Brothers College High School and continued to find outlets to learn more about engineering. As his high school graduation neared, he says S&T was the next logical institution for him to attend due to its proximity to St. Louis and reputation as a top-tier engineering school.

At Missouri S&T, Hutchinson conducts undergraduate research under the direction of Dr. Jay Park, S&T’s Kummer Endowed Chair of Computer Science. His work focuses on a humanoid robot, helping improve how it automates specific tasks so its system can operate more independently.

Outside the lab, he keeps busy with S&T’s Martial Arts Club and Kickboxing Club. He also enjoys cooking Haitian-inspired meals that remind him of home.

He says his life at Missouri S&T perfectly fits with the 2026 Engineers Week theme, “Transform Your Future.”

Through his robotics research, along with the discipline he practices through martial arts and kickboxing, Hutchinson says he is constantly working to grow both mentally and physically while preparing for the future he hopes to build.

“I’m hopeful that, one day, I’ll build something just as cool as the Iron Man suit that will help transform the future in a positive way,” he says.

And he says dreaming big like that is something all engineers should do.

“Never be afraid to try new things,” Hutchinson says. “Put yourself out there and don’t stay in one lane. You learn the most when you step outside your comfort zone.”

To learn more about Missouri S&T’s computer engineering programs, visit ece.mst.edu.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.