York College of Pennsylvania

York College's Alex Suarez, a sophomore Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering major from Frederick, Md., earned a third-place finish in the 2022 Collegiate Drone Racing Championship (CDRC) at the University of North Dakota. Eleven colleges and universities competed, including the University of North Dakota, Emory-Riddle Aeronautical University, Virginia Tech, Northeastern University, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Purdue University, and the University of Maryland. His participation was sponsored by the Engineering departments at York College. "It felt really cool representing York, all these big schools and here I am racing at the same level," said Suarez. "For all other sports our schools would never compete. Drone racing is still new enough in which schools are not picking pilots, pilots are picking the school." The race was scored on an individual level and a school/team level. The minimum number of pilots per team is two, according to Suarez. "However, as an individual, I got York into 8th out of 11 teams. There were only two individual teams - York and Purdue. If York were to get more drone racing pilots, we would be even more competitive on the team level." Ever since his first Blue Angels airshow, Suarez has been hooked on aviation. He began with flying model planes in 2012, then moved on to quadcopters because "I could keep it in the air and control it much better than a model plane." Quadcopters are drones that fly using four rotors. Suarez flew quadcopters - he even did a science fair project with them - and later learned to build them. In 2016, he discovered there were races for quadcopters, so he did some research and built his first race quad a year later. "And I've been building and racing them since," he said. "In 2020, I was ranked 227th in the world; last year 2021, I was ranked 178th in the world; and now I finished 3rd at the Collegiate championships." Suarez's hobby has gained him notoriety, but it has also put into practice the engineering skills he has learned at York College. One of the main and most important components of a racing drone is the frame, according to Suarez. "I raced with a custom frame, which was designed with SolidWorks (3D CAD software) skills I learned from York," he said. "I was also able to design it with a better understanding of how the forces from crashes would interact with the frame and how durable it would be. Some of the components on the frame are new and never seen before in drone racing. I remember showing my frame to some of the other competitors, and some of them were doubtful of the changes I made, but at the end several of them asked me when I'm going to start selling it after they saw how it held up in the race."

Fine Arts and Graphic Design majors at York College were recognized for their work during the Annual Juried Student Exhibition.

York College of Pennsylvania Nursing Student Anna Crawford '22 coauthored an article with faculty member, Professor of Nursing Lisa Ruth-Sahd '83, on sarcoidosis for the journal Nursing.

York College of Pennsylvania Literary and Textual Studies Senior and Presidential Research Fellow Sophia "Sophie" Barnes had her abstract, "The Fragility of the American Dream," accepted for presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2022 @Home in April, 2022.

York College of Pennsylvania Sport Management junior Kayla Carr was awarded a $750 scholarship from the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) that went toward college tuition. COSMA also covered her airfare, hotel accommodation, and registration for the 2022 conference in Houston, Texas, in February.

York College of Pennsylvania Biology/Pre-Med track senior Rachael Huebler has participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program since her first year at the College. As part of National Mentoring Month in January, The BBBS program named her as a Big Sister of the Year for 2021.

Over 1400 York College of Pennsylvania Students Were Named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2021 Semester

York College of Pennsylvania alumna, Lindsey Bonner, received a second place award in the Best Feature News Reporting category for her podcast, "Impact of COVID-19 on Broadcast Journalists," with the College Broadcasting Inc.'s 2021 National Student Production Awards. The podcast is published online with WVYC-FM Radio.

York College of Pennsylvania Student Briaunna Embrey-Banks received the Commitment to Social Justice Award presented in recognition of outstanding work in fostering diversity and social justice education, competency, and/or action among students, staff, and/or faculty at their institution or in the region. The Award is presented by the Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers.

Alexis Hart '20 learned how to be a team player at York College of Pennsylvania. She carries that mentality with her into her work in law enforcement.

Megan Tyson '21 wanted to help her high school students develop better vocabulary skills. She used technology to see how she could better engage them.

Sarah Friedman '23 just started her waitress shift at a Red Lobster in New Jersey when she saved the life of a man who had overdosed.

Mikaela Domingo '23 is the first of several interns at York College of Pennsylvania who will gain industry experience thanks to a $60,000 research grant.

Emily Garrigan '17 thought she initially wanted to be a nurse, but later discovered her love of science would lead to a career helping animals.

Jeannine Dabb '20 wanted to complete the bachelor's degree she never had a chance to finish. She did that and more, and she's now the Appell Arts Fellow for York College of Pennsylvania.

Over 1500 York College of Pennsylvania Students Were Named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2021 Semester

York College of Pennsylvania Theatre student Samantha "Sam" O'Dea was recognized for the 2021 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Regional Award.

York College of Pennsylvania Sport Management student Matthew Fanelli received the Pennsylvania Sports Business Student Service Award.

York College of Pennsylvania students were recognized for the Student Senate Service Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Fine Art major Rebecca Carter '21 has dyslexia and has often had to explain to people the disability they can't see. Her senior art project showcases neurodiverse brains, including those with autism, ADHD, and depression, to show the complexity of each.

York College of Pennsylvania students were recognized for the Student Association Service Scholarship Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania students were recognized for the Senior Honor Society Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Sport Management student Josiah Williams was recognized for the William Kain Good Citizenship Scholarship Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Mass Communication student Lindsey Bonner was recognized for the W. Burg Anstine Speech Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania History student Micheal Anderson was recognized for The Avillo Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Music Production and Entrepreneurship student Alexa Scranton was recognized for the WVYC Radio Station Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Biology student Hayden Divers was recognized for the Rene' Gallagher Memorial Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Recreation and Leisure Administration student Gabriel Lloyd was recognized for the Sylvia Newcombe Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania International Relations student Christopher Giani was recognized for the Sadari and Saroj Khanna Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.

York College of Pennsylvania Graphic Design student Elaina Baughman was recognized for the Rozella Suzanna Olp Anstine Visual Arts Award during the College's annual 2021 Recognition Ceremony.