Sarah Abbadi named the 2024 Robert D. Dryden Outstanding Senior for industrial and systems engineering
Sarah Abbadi, a senior in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), was named the department’s 2024 Robert D. Dryden Outstanding Senior. The award is named in honor of the late Robert Dryden, who served as department head in the 1990's, and is awarded to graduating students who demonstrate excellence in the classroom and beyond. Abbadi will graduate summa cum laude on May 10 with a B.S. in industrial and systems engineering and a minor in computer science. Following graduation, she will join Deloitte in Arlington, Virginia as a technology consultant.
Initially, Abbadi didn’t set her sights on a specific engineering major. Both of Abbadi’s parents have engineering backgrounds, and she saw firsthand how valuable an engineering degree can be long term.
“I wasn’t focused on the major as much as the different skills I would need, and I knew I wanted to problem-solve and work directly with people,” Abbadi said. “As soon as I saw how multifaceted ISE is, and the huge amount of opportunities available with that degree, I knew it was the right choice.”
Building community during COVID-19
Despite spending her freshman year in her hometown of Ashburn, Virginia due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remote classes, Abbadi found her “Hokie” home in numerous clubs and organizations. While attending school remotely, she joined the Society of Women Engineers and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers at Virginia Tech. The distance, however, came with challenges and barriers.
“I was really looking forward to getting involved my freshman year, and even though I was able to do a bit with online meetings, it’s not the same through a screen,” Abbadi said. “It was nothing compared to what I found once I came on campus.”
Once Abbadi arrived in Blacksburg for the first semester of her sophomore year, she hit the ground running. During that year alone, she joined the Consulting Group, Alpha Omega Epsilon, ISE Ambassadors, and the Women’s Network at Virginia Tech.
“I remember attending as many interest meetings as I could, because I was so determined to find my community here,” Abbadi said. “It was really cool becoming part of both Alpha Omega Epsilon and the Women’s Network, because I was able to meet so many people from different backgrounds and majors that I wouldn’t have been able to meet during my classes.”
During her junior year, Abbadi joined Virginia Tech Club Soccer. Between attending remotely her freshman year and getting acclimated her sophomore year, she decided to wait until junior year to add another commitment to her plate.
“Everything I was involved in was really interesting and great in its own way, but having an outlet like soccer really changed the way I spent my extracurricular time,” Abbadi said. “It’s physical, I was pushing myself differently than I was in classes, and it gave me a totally new community.”
Someone who was able to witness Abbadi’s journey to finding community first-hand was Kathleen Carper ‘10, an instructor of technical communications for engineers. Abbadi completed Carper’s course during fall of her junior year, and stayed on to serve as a teaching assistant for her remaining three semesters.
“I have had the pleasure to work with Sarah for the past three semesters in my technical communications course. She is an excellent teaching assistant, mentor, and representative of our department,” said instructor Kathleen Carper. “Watching her grow in her leadership and communication skills has been a joy, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact she has beyond Virginia Tech.”
Old skills lead to new passions
Though Abbadi didn’t have her sights set on a specific career when she started school, she slowly discovered a passion aligned with her skills: consulting. Through her work with the Consulting Group, she was able to learn about the ins and outs of the consulting industry, and ultimately find internships with Deloitte Global and PWC that allowed her to fine-tune her skills.
“What I really like the most about consulting is that I can use my people and technical skills at the same time,” Abbadi said. “It applies to so many different industries and enables me to help so many different people. With the Consulting Group, I was able to learn in an environment that was always challenging me to be better.”
Abbadi’s application of industrial and systems engineering skills from her major, and computer science skills from her minor, positioned her for competitive advantage in the job market. After her summer internship with Deloitte Global, Abbadi felt like the search for community was worthwhile.
“While I was interning with Deloitte Global, I was able to get a feel for the company culture and it excites me how many possibilities there are,” Abbadi said. “I realize throughout my entire journey at Virginia Tech, I’ve been putting myself in positions to have the most opportunities possible, and I’m looking forward to continuing to do that.”
