Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Senior: Audrey Abadilla

I love just seeing like something that you put into CAD and then watching it get made and figuring out how it works, how it can improve. I've done things from supply chain to part design, to certification and prototyping. And I've also had a lot of machining experience, but outside of professional experience, I've also been really involved on campus. I got really involved in the design team called Design-Build-Fly. They make RC airplanes. And I used a lot of my CAD skills as well as manufacturing skills. One of the most meaningful parts of being here at Virginia Tech is just all the opportunities that are available on campus. One of the main ones that I was able to take advantage of was a scholarship program through Boeing. I was selected as one of seven of the first students from Virginia Tech to be part of Boeing's Accelerated Leadership Program. There's a lot of learning opportunities and development that we have. We had a lot of access to executive members, so I got to even meet the CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun. That was amazing. He came here to Virginia Tech. If I could give my freshman year self any advice, it probably be to be confident in myself and be okay with being independent. I moved to Virginia from Oregon. Without knowing a single person who goes to Tech. I recommend don't be scared to find yourself. Reach out to different people. Don't be scared to get into uncomfortable situations in terms of meeting new people, try new experiences, getting involved in things that you may not have like 100 per cent experience in. It's okay to learn along the way.