Sara Pfeil

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Major:
Material Science Engineering

Year:
Senior

Hometown:
Wayne, IL

Executive Positions:
  • President
    (FALL 2022 - SPRING 2023)
  • External VP
    (FALL 2021 - SPRING 2022)
  • Off-Campus Exec.
    (FALL 2020 - SPRING 2021)

Other extracurricular activities:

  • Crocheting, Loving Dogs, Gardening
  • Teaching Assisant, MSE 206 Mechanics for MatSE (Spring 2022)
  • Learning Assistant, Physics 211 Universtiy Mechanics Lab (Spring 2021)

Research/Internship/Co-op experience:

  • Procter & Gamble
    Research & Development Engineering Intern, Oral Care Packaging
    (Summer 2022 and Summer 2021)

Why Illinois?

I chose Illinois because of the people! Everyone here has a passion for learning and is always willing to share their knowledge with one another. Collaboration and community are key to the UIUC experience!

What has been your best experience at Illinois?

My best experience at Illinois has been the numerous opportunities I have received to reach out to my community and share my passion for engineering through Engineering Ambassadors. Going on classroom visits to do STEM activities ith young students ranging from oobleck to raspberry pi reminds me how transformative STEM education can be. It is inspiring seeing students learn collaborate with each other to overcome challenging problems.

Favorite part about being an engineering student?

My favorite part of being an engineering student is seeing the knowledge I learn in the classroom be applied in the real word. During my first internship, I found it so exciting when I got to leverage my knowledge of materials science to create products that have a real impact on peoples' lives.

Why did you join EA?

I joined EA because I loved the idea of getting to share my passion for STEM with younger students. I also wanted to improve my public speaking skills and learn to communicate challenging concepts effectively to a wider audience.

What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a STEM degree?

My advice to someone interested in pursing a STEM degree would be to recognize that you already possess all the skills needed to successful. I think prospective engineering students often get intimidated by all the challenging classes you need to take, but at its core, engineering is critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and collaboration. Lean on these core skills throughout your degree, and you will find success!

What do you plan on doing post-graduation?

Post-graduation, I have accepted a full-time position at Procter & Gamble as an R&D Packaging Engineer!