Class of 2025: Ashley Donahoe found her spark in materials science
Donahoe’s journey from Colorado to Blacksburg wasn’t her only big move. Starting out in fashion merchandising and design and ending up in materials science and engineering, her path was anything but traditional.
Name: Ashley Donahoe
College: College of Engineering
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Plans after graduation: Working at Gerdau as a quality assurance engineer and will be starting in January 2026.
Favorite Hokie memory: “Well, I have two. They both took place at Lane Stadium. My first being the Virginia Tech vs. UNC football game. It was my first game at Virginia Tech and we won!The excitement of winning that rivalry game was unforgettable. My second favorite memory was the Metallica concert this past spring. It was kind of a full-circle moment. One of my first memories was on the field, and one of my last was there too.”
When Ashley Donahoe first arrived at Virginia Tech, she envisioned a future in fashion design. Her academic path soon took a turn that would define her college journey, going from silks and satins to metals and ceramics.
The Colorado native said that her decision to switch majors from fashion merchandising and design wasn’t clear at first. She just wanted to make the best choice for her future career and knew that engineering would give her that stability.
“I really didn’t know much about engineering before going into college,” Donahoe said. “But, materials science drew me in because it felt creative in its own way. You’re observing things at such a small scale — it’s almost artistic.”
What began as an exploratory change soon became a calling, fueled by her fascination with the science that made up the world around her.
“That I May Serve” – just down the hall
Donahoe’s path of self-discovery led her to another experience that she will always remember from her time as a Hokie: becoming a residential advisor. As someone who once was unsure of her academic path forward, Donahoe often finds herself mentoring others through tough times or during moments of uncertainty. She started out as a residential advisor in West Eggleston Hall and has spent the last three years moving between Payne and West Eggleston Hall.
“It’s rewarding to connect with students who are where I once was, and to tell them, ‘You’re fine, things get better.’ It’s really about giving back to the community,” she said. “Honestly, the moments I remember the most are the small, funny ones. I once came back to the dorm late one evening and jumped on an elevator to find four guys playing poker at a small table inside. They asked me what floor and pushed the button without missing a beat.”
Finding purpose through hands-on bridge experiences
As Donahoe worked her way deeper into the materials science curriculum, she also found ways to deepen her understanding of the field outside of the classroom.
She interned with Gerdau, a steel manufacturer, and Woodward, Inc., where she worked with advanced characterization tools to study metal alloys. “It was incredible to see the things we study come to life — melting raw materials, casting them into molds, and watching them become something new,” Donahoe said.
But Donahoe’s favorite hands-on learning experience has been working alongside Associate Professor Carolina Tallon. Tallon served as her senior design team faculty advisor, and Donahoe went on to work with Tallon as an undergraduate research assistant. Donahoe contributed to the Tallon group research in ultra-high-temperature ceramics for hypersonic vehicles, work that deepened her excitement for research and innovation.
“Dr. Tallon inspires me, not just as a researcher, but as a woman in engineering who balances her career and family with such strength and passion.”
The feeling is mutual for Tallon. “Ashley brings great contributions to our team,” said the associate professor of materials science. “She has an unusually large breadth of experiences and skills. And this is even more impressive since she came from a completely different and nontraditional engineering-related discipline. I really admire her optimism and positive mindset to try and learn new things. She is humble and strong at the same time. I feel very lucky I got to work with her.”
As Donahoe looks ahead to a career in materials engineering, she’s reflecting on the mindset that carried her through these years as an engineering student. “I’ve learned that perseverance and mindset make all the difference.”
When asked to describe her Virginia Tech experience in one word, she paused before smiling. “Flourishing — or maybe fulfilling. It’s hard to choose one, because Virginia Tech has been both.”
