Sarah Scanlin
Hometown: Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania
Major: Electrical Engineering
Class Year: 2023
Following Her Dreams at Drexel
“My junior year of high school, I took a class in AutoCAD and an architecture course that initially sparked my interest for engineering design. Following these courses, I took a series of engineering classes that helped me to determine I wanted to pursue a degree in engineering. In one of those classes, we designed and programed a garden bed cold frame that could be programed to open and closed automatically, as the outside temperature would change. My work using an Arduino in this project is what made me decide to pursue electrical engineering specifically.”
Back-to-Back Co-Ops
“I recently finished my first co-op working at AKF Group, a mechanical, electrical and plumbing firm in Old City. Because my position had been postponed due to the pandemic, I also had the opportunity to pursue a second co-op over the same cycle. This position was working with a physics professor here at Drexel, doing research on the impacts that COVID-19 had on professors and their transition to online teaching.”
Striving for Sustainability
“After graduation, I would like to work with electrical power systems and go into sustainable design. I hope to potentially get my master’s degree in Peace Engineering, along with my MBA. I hope to one day start my own company working on sustainable habitats and energy systems.”
More Student Stories
Meet these and other Drexel Engineering students.
Four Drexel seniors created a custom security system for In the Garden, a 270-panel mural valued at $1.5 million. Their design blends cutting-edge tech with subtlety, preserving the artwork while enhancing campus infrastructure.
Three Drexel engineering students are building a digital twin of the Commodore Barry Bridge, creating a living model that could help engineers monitor damage, test repairs and preserve infrastructure more effectively in the future.
“Initially, I was hesitant to enroll in a five-year program as opposed to a traditional four-year one,” she said, “but the benefits far outweigh the downside of graduating a year after the peers I finished high school with. I feel incredibly comfortable and confident joining the workforce, and I owe my assuredness to Drexel’s co-op program.”