By Leah Wilson
Andrew Triviso has a talent that not many 11-year-olds have: creating amazing works of art through Legos. Triviso has been interested in Legos and fire engines from a very young age.
“Andrew belongs to a national program called 4-H,” his mother Rosemary said. “There are various groups in Imperial County and the one we belong to is called Mount Signal 4-H.”
There is a long list of activities 4-H members can choose from, but Andrew’s favorite is Engineering Legos.
“Kids are motivated to be creative and can use any size Lego and make anything,” said Rosemary of the activity. “Most kids make little cars or farms. Andrew took the emblems as a challenge. He has always liked Legos and has a shelf of his creations in his room.”
Lego logos
Triviso’s first project was building— and then donating—a replica of the Cal OES Fire and Rescue patch logo in February. He estimates that the project required around 10,000 Lego pieces and more than 50 hours of dedication.
Unintentional inspiration then came from his uncle, Vice President of IT – Operations and Maintenance Ed Sanchez.
“Andrew is very interested in technology and I explained to him what we do as an organization,” Sanchez said. Triviso was excited to learn about the industry and quickly decided to visit a solar project near his hometown of Calexico, California.
Inspired by the visit and his discussion with Sanchez, Triviso decided his next project would be to build the Department of Energy logo out of Lego studs. Lego studs are small, round Legos. Depending on the color and quantity, these are most cost-effective when imported from Denmark.
Building the elaborate recreation of the DOE logo required dedicated work almost every day.
“It has taken about 25 hours for Andrew to complete the logo,” Rosemary said. “I estimate that there are about 4,530 pieces on this particular emblem. He has made smaller ones and bigger ones.”
The final creation will be more than two feet wide.
Despite being recognized multiple times for his works of art, his talent remains a hidden secret. “Aside from family, we don’t talk about it much,” Rosemary said.
Intricate designs such as this one make clear Triviso’s self-discipline and patience.
“All of my past Lego donations have been framed and donated,” Triviso said. These have only been transported directly, by means of a personal vehicle—or in one case a firetruck—so far, and it’s no easy task.
“It must be laying down,” Rosemary said, and keeping the creation facing upward is crucial. “We don’t glue it, due to possible fumes.”
“I’m always nervous something will go wrong and mess up,” Triviso stated.
The soon-to-be sixth grader is currently finishing the DOE logo and is hoping to present his creation to WAPA in the near future.
Role model
What sparks the interest of an 11-year-old? Triviso gets his inspiration from a variety of sources, from fire engines and county seals to flags and the logos.
“He encourages other kids to be creative,” Rosemary said.
Triviso sets his sights high and will not be stopping his hard work any time soon. He is interested in continuing to invest his talents in the federal government.
“I would like to work for NASA one day!” Triviso exclaimed.
Note: Wilson is an administrative analyst who works under the Wyandotte Services contract.
Last modified on September 12th, 2023