Aaron Loftman

Hometown: Queens, New York
Major: Construction Management
Class Year: 2023

What made you realize you were interested in engineering?

I always knew I had an interest in math, science, and buildings in general. In the 5th grade, I said I wanted to be an architectural engineer. As I grew that eventually transpired to still wanting to be a problem solver like an architectural engineer but through the conduit of being able to also lead projects and be in the mix of the action of it all. Combining those led me to construction management.

When you were looking at colleges, what stood out about Drexel?

The return on investment professionally and financially that being a part of the coop system provided me with. There is also a competitive advantage gained against fellow students who attend other universities.

What has been you best co-op experience so far?

I got to experience being a part of the Penn Pavilion project at the University of Pennsylvania with my company LF Driscoll. My responsibilities started with simple things such as utilizing PlanGrid to survey items that still needed to be completed, reading through submittals to make sure they adhered to the project, etc. However, as my time there continued, I became more intertwined with the project and my team. I would help run parts of weekly meetings, communicate with the subcontractors on what's needed, lead punch list efforts for certain areas and manage items that were completed and still needed to be done. I continued with the Penn Pavillion project full time while on classes my third and fourth year and completed my second coop cycle with them as well. Being put onto such a complex, and large project as my first on-site experience really cemented in me that I was in the right path.

What has been your favorite class so far?

My favorite class to date has been CMGT 263. While the content is useful to set the foundation of understanding construction drawings, what stands out is as a young freshman or sophomore, having Dr. Short as a professor brightens your day and makes you even more enthusiastic about what you're doing. For me, that was one of the first faces to have taught me within the major.

What extracurricular activities are important to you and why? 

Since freshman year I have been proud to say I'm a part of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity on campus. The group of men that I'm a part of has left an everlasting impact on the development of myself professionally, culturally, and academically. While coming from all different backgrounds, there's a common want to continuously develop and become a better version of ourselves.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who's thinking about declaring a major right now?

It's okay if the major you choose right now may change within the first or second quarter of being at Drexel. Change is okay, and instead of fighting it, embrace it. You will be okay, and there are a plethora of people here to help you along the way.