By Anjali Kapilavai
When you meet Nihaara Sawhney, a Florida Institute of Technology senior, you quickly sense two things: a restless curiosity and a clear sense of direction. An aerospace engineering major and scholar-athlete, Sawhney has spent her years at Florida Tech translating her childhood awe into academic prowess and real-world impact.
Early Fascination
Sawhney’s interest in aerospace began at a young age.
“I always loved cars and airplanes … My love for airplanes mainly started off as me wanting to be a pilot, not an aerospace engineer,” she explains.
But, as she moved into high school, advanced physics and math drew her to the technical side of aviation.
When she was choosing a college, Florida Tech stood out.
“I wanted to be recruited as an athlete on the swim team, and Florida Tech was the best fit. They had a great aerospace engineering program; they were on the Space Coast; and they offered to have me on their team. So, it just worked out perfectly.”
Balancing Athletics & Academics
Sawhney has been swimming for as long as she can remember, and she considers it a major priority alongside academics. As a result, balancing athletics and academics shaped her approach to discipline.
“Google Calendar was my best friend,” she says.
While she smoothly adjusted academically, athletics presented greater hurdles at first. The struggle to fit in as a new student was amplified by her unique circumstances. However, her prior academic preparation helped her adapt in the highly rigorous and focused environment, she says.
“Back home, it was very much like, someone’s going to make you go to class. Here, it’s all on you,” Sawhney says. “The decisions you make, you are the one responsible for them. If you have the mindset, ‘I am going to do this because I promised myself or my family,’ that helps you follow through.”
The scholar-athlete experience shaped her mindset, as well.
“The discipline of sticking to something, which any sport requires, projects onto any field in life—career, academics, anything,” she says. “The time management, the perseverance, the ability to meet deadlines—all of that comes from being an athlete.”
Sawhney has also excelled in her academics, being recognized as Outstanding Student of the Year in the university’s Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences. For that, she credits simple strategies.
“The best thing I’ve done is take physical notes in class. People underestimate what professors are saying. Write it in your own words—that’s what sticks,” she says.
She also stresses the value of peers.
“Surround yourself with people who have similar goals. It impacts how you study and how you apply yourself.”
Diving into Opportunities
Sawhney wasted no time getting involved at Florida Tech.
“Freshman year, I kind of just went all out with going to office hours. Since Florida Tech is also a very small school, making yourself known in the department shows that you care and you’re here for a purpose,” she says.
That initiative paid off, resulting in research and internship experiences. In her first summer, she joined a project on spacecraft navigation.
“It was about nonlinear model predictive control of spacecraft,” Sawhney says. “I was mainly assisting a Ph.D. student, reading papers and using MATLAB to code some of the subprojects. The learning curve was very high, but it was good exposure.”
Later, she found herself at Larsen Motorsports, building jet dragsters. The hands-on nature of the internship, from metalwork to CAD design, showed her the value of both shop-floor skills and technical knowledge. The experience was multifaceted, combining skills required to pursue a career in both the aviation and automobile fields.
In summer 2025, she worked at Piper Aircraft, an experience she greatly valued.
“Working at Piper has been one of my childhood dreams,” Sawhney says. “I worked with the propulsion and mechanical system team, and that gave me a good idea of what I want my role to look like once I’m done with school.”
The Space Coast
Location, Sawhney believes, is one of Florida Tech’s strongest assets.
“Since this is the Space Coast, we have a lot of companies— Northrop Grumman, Piper, NASA—all right here. At career fairs, these firms are actively recruiting, and you get to learn what they’re working on,” she explains. “You could just walk out on campus one day and see a rocket launch. Sometimes, professors even let us out of class early to go watch.”
Florida Tech’s small size has been central to her experience, she says.
“I wanted the personal attention and small class size. Here, professors know your face and your name. You can just walk up and say, ‘I need help with this homework.’ That’s one of the biggest advantages,” she says.
Looking Ahead
As graduation nears, Sawhney is deciding whether she wants to pursue graduate school or enter the workforce.
“I’m looking at aerospace engineering again, but more specifically within aerodynamics or structures,” she explains. “I’m very interested in test engineering—certifying new planes, testing new planes, learning how that side works. It’s widely applicable across industries.”
At the same time, she’s keeping an eye on emerging technologies.
“As much as I love jet engines and turboprops, I’m excited and curious to see how electric or hybrid electric propulsion turns out to be in aviation,” Sawhney says. “I think it has a lot of potential.”
What makes Sawhney’s story compelling isn’t just her technical ambition but her perspective. She doesn’t cast herself as a trailblazer waiting to emerge. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of showing up, working steadily and staying open to growth.
This piece was featured in the fall/winter 2025 edition of Reinvented Magazine.
