Prerak Mahajan | Mechatronics Engineering Student

About Me

Hi, I’m Prerak — a Mechatronics Engineering student at Waterloo who loves building things at the crossroads of robotics, AI, and entrepreneurship. When I’m not working on tech projects or startups, you’ll probably find me playing cricket, competing in table tennis, or putting together a puzzle.

Experience

Incoming Tesla

Tesla | Austin, Texas | January 2027 - April 2027

Design Engineering Intern

ZF Group | Windsor, Ontario | April 2026 - August 2026

Updated and optimized AutoCAD production floor layouts across 10 manufacturing lines, contributing to material flow, workstation, and operator layout improvements
Remapped 150+ material locations and repositioned 80+ operator positions to improve production flow, ergonomics, safety, and accessibility
Conducted floor observations, stopwatch time studies, and walking-distance analysis to identify inefficiencies and validate proposed layout changes
Collaborated with operators, forklift drivers, maintenance teams, and line leaders to implement practical manufacturing improvements contributing to approximately $500,000 in operational savings

View Project

Mechatronics Engineering Intern

Prandtl Dynamics | Richmond Hill, ON | June 2025 - Present

Co-invented and filed a patent-pending counter-UAS technology, advancing next-generation drone detection capabilities
Optimized hardware systems through rigorous lab testing, increasing prototype range by 50% for defense applications
Traveled internationally to deliver live demonstrations of counter-drone prototypes to executives from Fortune 500 aerospace corporations andvarious international government officials

Machine Learning Engineering Intern

Amazon Web Services | Toronto, ON | July 2024 - August 2024

Led development of machine learning model with 89% accuracy for air pollutant detection
Tested and evaluated multiple ML models (Decision Trees, KNN, Neural Networks) using AWS SageMaker
Earned Top 5 Intern recognition out of 90+ interns for technical impact and leadership
Top 6 finish in internal AWS ML competition by presenting one of the strongest-performing models

View Project

Cell Phone Engineer & Business Owner

PrerakPhones | Brampton, ON | July 2022 - Present

Generated over $500 in revenue through expert mobile device repairs and services
Specialized in recycling non-eco-friendly technology, including over 50 Lithium-Ion batteries
Diagnosed and repaired iPhone-specific issues (logic board failures, Face ID malfunctions)
Served 30+ clients with a strong return rate through quality service

View Instagram

Education

Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering, Honours, Co-operative Program

University of Waterloo | September 2025 - April 2030

I'm pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechatronics Engineering (Honours, Co-op), where I get to combine mechanical, electrical, and software engineering to build smart systems—and gain real-world experience through industry co-op placements.

Certifications

Stanford Linear Algebra with Proofs Summer Program

Stanford University | July 2024

KMaster Phone Repair Certification

KMaster | August 2022

First Aid and CPR Certification

Life Saving Society | June 2019

Skills

AutoCAD
SolidWorks
Microsoft Excel
SAP
Manufacturing Layout Planning
Material Flow Optimization
Time Studies
Process Improvement
Production Floor Optimization
Ergonomic & Safety Analysis
Root-Cause Analysis
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Python
C++
Git/GitHub
Raspberry Pi
STM32
ESP32
Oscilloscopes & FFT Analysis
Hardware Validation & Testing

Portfolio

FutureFocus Website Project

Developing a website with ML recommendation system for student extracurriculars to complement the FutureFocus organization | 2025

GitHub Repository Website Coming Soon

AidAssist

Medical device providing real-time instructions for 7 common injuries, placing Top 15 in HOSA international competition | May 2023

GitHub Repository

AI Ethics Research

Developing framework for sustainable AI with Dr. Krishnan (UNC) focused on environmental impact of generative AI models | December 2023 - May 2024

View Document

Microsoft Chip Cooling

Developed innovative cooling methods for microchips in data centers to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption | March 2024

View Presentation

Google Employee Training

Designed solutions to improve employee training programs and onboarding experience at Google | December 2023

View Presentation

AWS Machine Learning Project

Presentation on the machine learning model developed for air pollutant detection during the AWS internship | July 2024 - Aug 2024

View Presentation GitHub Repository

Achievements

AWS Intern Recognition: Top 5 Intern

Top 5 Intern | 2024

AWS Group Project Finalist: Top 6

Top 6 | 2024

University of Waterloo President’s Scholarship of Distinction

95%+ admission average: $2,000 entrance scholarship + two potential $1,500 awards after first year | 2025

Waterloo CEMC Distinction

Top 25% | Fermat 2024 | Euclid 2025

HOSA Canada National Fall Leadership Conference Finalist

Top 10 | 2024

Danaher Scholarship Recipient

$5,000 USD Renewable Scholarship, Totaling $20,000 USD | 2025

Daniela Crivianu-Gaita Scholarship

$2,000 Scholarship

Recommendations

Qi Xuan Khoo, Rhodes Scholar

"Prerak exhibits impressive work ethic and problem-solving abilities. Disciplined and determined, he would never approach a task without giving his 110%, and he would always go above and beyond in pursuit of knowledge."

View Letter

Ms. Parikh, Math Club Supervisor

"Prerak is respectful, driven, and deeply committed to personal and collective success—he elevates those around him and represents the best of what a student leader can be."

View Letter

Mr. Gray, Math Teacher

"Prerak was often able to circumnavigate the traditional long-winded and methodical manner of solving a math problem and replace said process with a streamlined and logical process of equal value—an attestation to his strong content knowledge, hard work, and preparation in the IB program."

View Letter

Ms. Suresh, English Teacher

"Prerak’s eagerness to learn, coupled with his willingness to take risks and learn from mistakes, showcases a commitment to personal growth and mastery of the subject matter that is rare to see at the high school level."

View Letter

Guy Sherman, AWS Software Development Engineer

"Throughout the program, Prerak showed an interest in the broader workings of AWS as a whole, and with genuine interest in learning more about our company, we were delighted to be able to offer mentorship and guidance."

View Letter

Contact Me

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or opportunities!