But Greenwald, who graduated Saturday with a degree in environmental engineering, quickly found her place on campus. More than that, she thrived.   

She received the College of Engineering’s highest honor, the Davidson Family Tau Beta Pi Senior Engineering Cup. The award, which comes with a $5,000 prize, goes to only one graduating senior a year and recognizes academic excellence, leadership and service.

“I came here not too excited my first day of freshman year, but over the past four years it’s just grown into a place that means so much to me,” she said. “I’m just so thankful for my time here.”

Her time at Georgia Tech was marked with several incredible adventures. Since the Marietta, Ga. native attended college close to home, she used her summers to explore the world.

She spent four months in Kalu Yala, Panama in 2014 as an agricultural and animal science intern on a permaculture farm. The following summer she worked as a water and sanitation health scholar in Limpopo, South Africa.

What’s next for Greenwald? Graduate school at some point. She’s even received a National Science Foundation fellowship to pay for her graduate education.

Learn more about Greenwald here.