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For many students, opportunities are like doors. They wait for them to open and take advantage when they do.

But Asaiah Gifford has taken a different path, building opportunities for herself and for others along the way.

Gifford, a mechanical engineering student graduating this spring, has been selected by the Colorado Engineering Council to receive this year’s Silver Medal Award. One of the state’s top honors for undergraduate engineers, the Silver Medal recognizes students who��embody the values of academic excellence, personal integrity, professionalism and community service.

She is the third student from the��Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering to win the award since 1994.

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Asaiah Gifford speaking at the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Summit.

“I am extremely honored to receive this award,” said Gifford. “During my time at ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������, Rady Mechanical Engineering has invested in me and allowed me to be myself and fill in the gaps I see wherever possible. The guidance and collaboration I have received from mentors and peers in this community has made me a better person in all facets of my life.”

As a�� Scholar, Gifford was poised to make a difference early. She was accepted into ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ��������, where she continued to challenge herself academically while seeking out leadership and service opportunities.

During her undergraduate years,��Gifford was also selected for both the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship and the��—two highly competitive, nationally recognized programs dedicated to supporting underrepresented students pursuing aerospace engineering careers.

Through these programs and her coursework, Gifford was able to develop and combine technical skills with real-world experiences. Her first-year engineering project, focused on sustainable transportation and carbon emissions education, won several awards, including being selected to be presented at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

That foundation led Gifford into the��Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR), where she worked under Professor��Virginia Ferguson in the��Ferguson Biomechanics and Biomimetics Lab. There, she applied her interdisciplinary strengths to help investigate how disease affects bone material properties.

“Asaiah is one of the most impressive undergraduate research students I have ever worked with,” said one of Gifford’s nominators. “The results of her research could potentially guide new discoveries and help others.”

Gifford’s perspective on engineering has also been shaped far beyond Boulder. She has participated in��multiple education abroad programs, including a five-week seminar in Barcelona focused on literature and culture, a two-week leadership intensive in Rwanda and a semester at the National University of Singapore, where she completed a full course load in mechanical engineering.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Gifford’s college journey is her impact outside of the engineering classroom.

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Gifford (left) posing with Chip the Buffalo and other students at anAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority event.��

Inspired at a young age by Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel into space, she has worked hard to help broaden opportunities for others, as well.��

Gifford reactivated and served as the president of the Alpha Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the only Black Greek Letter Organization on campus. In this role, she strived to promote community among Black women on campus.

As a Patti Grace Smith fellow and a member of the ME Community Engagement & Outreach Committee, Gifford helped connect young students with unique professional development opportunities and plan events centered around Black History Month and Earth Day.��

And finally, as a student signer for New Era Colorado, she even encouraged civic engagement by helping fellow students register to vote.

“Asaiah has earned respect and acknowledgement for her hard work and aspiration to help others, particularly Black women in engineering,” said another nominator.

She also gave back to communities away from campus, mentoring the next-generation of Boettcher Scholars and advocating for fellow students at the state-level.

“I participated in events ranging from environmental sustainability and social justice advocacy to youth STEM engagement,” Gifford said. “I have been able to mentor other students seeking similar professional paths. It’s been amazing to bond with my peers and grow as a person.”

This summer, Gifford will��intern at United Launch Alliance in Alabama on the mechanical engineering strength analysis team. She will return to ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ in the fall to complete her master’s degree through the��Bachelor’s-Accelerated Master’s Program (BAM).

And while her future is already taking shape, Gifford still takes the time today to reflect on her past. Not about the awards or the accomplishments—instead, it’s something that will carry her forward far beyond the university.

“My greatest achievement is that I have sought out and created opportunities to serve and learn from my communities,” said Gifford. “I feel overwhelmingly grateful to have made an impact in the process.”