Pailey Vitale
Pailey Vitale will be the student speaker for the commencement scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. She is graduating Cum Laude from the College of Engineering and Polymer Science with a Bachelor of Science in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering – the first UA student to graduate with this degree. She is a Williams Honors Scholar and has also earned a certificate in Professional Selling for Engineering Majors.
Q: In which campus activities were you involved?
A: I was president of both the Engineering Student Council and Engineers for a Sustainable World. I was a member of the Zips Precious Plastics Design Team, Phi Sigma Rho STEM sorority, “Ohio’s Pride” Marching Band, the Blue and Gold Brass Band, UA concert band, the CEPS Dean’s Team, Society of Women in Engineering (SWE), and more. I also joined one of UA’s newest student organizations, the Crumbl Critics group that taste-tests and rates Crumbl cookies.
Q: What campus honors or awards have you received?
A: I was UA’s 2025 Homecoming Queen, a Williams Honors Scholar and a Top 10 Senior. I also earned the Alumni Association Student Recognition Award, A-Key Blue Award and the Outstanding Officer Award. I was also on Dean’s List and received several awards with Engineers for a Sustainable World.
I am also the University’s first graduate in the Bachelor of Science in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering degree program. My advisor told me that as the first student in my major to graduate from UA, I would be a "Polymer Pioneer." She was right. Being the first in the major to graduate is rewarding, and I feel that I am representing the College of Engineering and Polymer Science and all it has to offer. The lack of peers in my core major classes was a challenge, but I remained strong. I have been able to make connections with each polymer professor and other faculty members. It means so much to have the support from the staff, and I feel like the path I went on was all worth it. I hope to be a mentor and inspiration to the younger and upcoming polymer undergraduates, I am glad to have been the guinea pig for the program, and I can't wait to see where it takes me and all other students to come.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I will start a job with Sherwin-Williams as an associate chemist in the company’s raw materials business unit, which is in their Research and Development Center in Brecksville, Ohio. I will also be part of their Leadership Development Program. I hope to continue my education with Sherwin-Williams’ support and at UA in a master’s degree or Ph.D. program.
Q: What is your favorite memory of UA?
A: My favorite memory was being crowned Homecoming queen in fall 2025 with the support of my UA community. The marching band made this memorable because I could hear all of them cheering. Their support, along with that of my family and friends, made the day special. I remember my mom running over to me when they were leading the Homecoming king and me to the President’s box at the football stadium. In the fourth quarter of the Homecoming game, I returned to be with the marching band in the stands, and everyone was so supportive. I had the best time celebrating with my friends. I will always remember that game day. It was the time when I felt the most supported at UA and I will never take that for granted.
Being Homecoming Queen solidified something deeply personal. Leadership is not about visibility. It is about consistency. It is about being inclusive in organizations, mentoring younger students, willingly having a pie thrown in my face at the Homecoming cookout to raise money for the Campus Cupboard, and cheering just as loudly when our teams are down as when they are winning. It is about investing in people long before recognition ever comes. That understanding now guides every decision I make, both on campus and as I prepare for my professional career.
The experience clarified the kind of leader I want to continue becoming – one who strengthens communities from within and leaves organizations stronger than I found them. The mentors and upperclassmen who once believed in me, challenged me and modeled leadership showed me what that kind of impact looks like, and I carry their example with me. As I move into a new phase in which I begin my career, I have intentionally chosen to stay in the Akron area because of the community that shaped me. UA did more than educate me. It imbued me with responsibility, allowed me to grow and gave me a platform to build lasting change. Staying here is not simply a career choice; it is a commitment to investing back into the place that invested in me.
Q: What unique things should we know about you?
A: A fun fact about me is that I once won the Pickle-lympics (pickle Olympics) at the Akron Pickle Fest. I have a love for pickles like no one else. My favorite pickle brand is Grillo’s. My senior design project was also very unique. I was awarded a scholarship from the Ohio Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) after being recommended by a UA College of Engineering and Polymer Science faculty member, so I based my project on the OSGC requirements. My project is titled “Made on Mars: Design and Manufacturing of Structural Polymer-Regolith Composites.” The project focused on the design and evaluation of polymer–regolith composites for Martian applications using carbon dioxide-derived polymers and locally sourced regolith, which is the layer of rock, dust and debris that covers bedrock on planets and moons. I utilized an internal mixer, typically used for rubber compounding, to create my material.