Erin Akinjide
One of the first challenges Drexel students face as incoming freshmen
is adjusting to its fast-paced learning schedule. New students learn to
build momentum within ten-week terms, find their own co-ops and
participate in clubs and sports. For Erin Akinjide, a graduating senior
in mechanical engineering, juggling school with an impressive number of
extracurriculars is second nature.
The child of parents who run a construction company in Lagos, Nigeria,
Akinjide started out at Drexel as an architectural engineering major.
But her first co-op, a position at the Philadelphia Water Department,
steered her towards Mechanical Engineering instead.
“I realized that I still wanted an engineering degree to help me
understand the science and math behind built systems,” Akinjide said,
“but I also wanted more flexibility than I felt architectural
engineering provides.”
Outside of courses and co-ops, Akinjide has used Drexel’s resources to
develop her artistic skill. She joined the Drexel African Dance Team
for a year and learned salsa and bachata. She featured an upcycled
jacket collection during the Drexel African Students Association’s
fashion show. Akinjide even volunteered at TinyWPA, a Philly nonprofit
that serves communities through building playgrounds. Her
extracurricular resume also includes membership in the National Society
of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Drexel Badminton Club.
In every endeavor, Akinjide has found life lessons and meaning. “My
dancing experiences helped my confidence and presence in a room, my
fashion design experiences improved my communication skills [and]
helped me learn how to ask the right questions,” she said. “My e-board
experience taught me responsibility, time management, and how to relate
to people and start conversations. My volunteer experiences allowed me
to work towards a goal outside of myself, pick up some basic
woodworking skills, and learn more about Philadelphia’s rich history.”
Engineering has taught Akinjide to find importance in the smallest
things. While taking an elective in manufacturing principles, she was
tasked to create a pen and its cap, first creating 3-D models and then
a prototype. The moment of truth: Screwing the cap onto the pen.
“Screwing on a cap was something I’d done many times before without too
much thought, but after making [it] myself, that simple action had a
lot more meaning.”
Akinjide isn’t done learning after graduation. Perhaps taking
inspiration from her manufacturing principles class as well as her
artistic experience, she’s planning on pursuing a postgrad degree in
product design.
“I love picking up new skills which help stimulate my creativity,
whether it’s new forms of dance, multimedia art, painting, drawing,
fashion design, engineering and anything else I get to do in the
future. This degree is the first of many milestones for me.”