Kelly Brooks and Carlie Carlston realized that the typical violin was a rather fragile instrument, so they decided to make a more durable version from scratch.

The fully functional violin is made out of carbon fiber, which doesn’t contract with temperature fluctuations like wood tends to do.

Kelly, a senior at Granger High, and Carlie, a senior at Cyprus High, are both enrolled in the Utah Aerospace Pathways Program at the Granite Technical Institute. Granite was the first school district in the state to host the program.

The program is a conduit to aerospace companies and the composite materials industry. At the GTI, every student who has gone through the program has been offered a job at companies like Boeing, Albany Engineered Composites, and Hexcel.

It took roughly five months to complete the violin, and Kelly and Carlie are not alone in their pursuit to make durable instruments. Several of their classmates at the GTI are working on guitars, ukeleles, and other projects.