We are pleased to share that Sarah Elena Young – an undergraduate student from the Department of Construction Management – has been named to the 2026 Husky 100 cohort! She joins a group of 100 outstanding undergraduate, graduate and professional students who’ve made a significant impact on campus and beyond.
About Sarah Young, BS CM ‘26
Sarah is from Walnut Creek, California, and is graduating this spring quarter with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and two minor degrees in Urban Ecological Design and Business Administration.
Before joining the department, she found a sense of belonging through clubs like the Asian American Christian Fellowship and by participating in study abroad and other opportunities across campus. Sarah came to the UW in hopes of pursuing medicine; however, she discovered construction management was a better path for her.
“I felt that it was a really good fit because I could see the overlap of concepts between the programs and work through tangible projects from beginning to end and seeing how everything connects,” she says.
Sarah’s Impact at the UW
Sarah is a fantastic example of a student who is drawn to excellence at UW and then enhances it with her own energy and curiosity. I have great faith in Sarah’s ability to make a substantial impact on the building industry and contribute to solving the energy, sustainability, housing, and infrastructure problems we face as a society.
After becoming a construction management student, she became an active and influential member of the department. As a sophomore, she and a handful of other classmates that were in a public speaking course together organized opportunities for community dinners and got involved with various student organizations.
One of those student groups is the American Concrete Institute student chapter at UW, a student-run club of construction management and civil engineering students who gain hands-on experience by participating in international ACI undergraduate competitions. Sarah serves as the Design Engineer for the organization, where she has led four projects — including a fiber reinforced concrete bowling ball — over the course of two years.
“ACI has been a really great source of community”, says Sarah, “I’ve made a lot of connections and have been able to get to know my industry better, put technical skills I’ve learned to practice and make designs that problem solve.”
Sarah was also on the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Design-Build team, where she and fellow classmates helped showcase their expertise during the 2025 ASC competition in Reno, Nevada.
Further Engagement On- and Off-Campus
On top of her involvement with extracurricular communities on campus, Sarah also worked as a Laboratory Assistant in the UW Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Construction Materials Laboratory. In this instruction lab, CEE students learn about materials such as steel, aluminum, wood, aggregates, and portland cement concrete in a hands-on environment. She also volunteered her free time away from her summer 2024 internship to assist in writing the UW Foster School of Business’s new accounting textbook and course material.
Additionally, Sarah has held a variety of other positions with local and national firms that have given her valuable industry experience, including Project Engineer Intern for W.G. Clark Construction, and Project Management Intern for Cupertino Electric, Inc. She is currently a Field Engineer Intern for PCL Construction and will be continuing with them full-time after graduation.
“She’s one of the few students I’ve worked with who has engaged in research with faculty as most of our students focus on industry experiences,” says CM Academic Advisor Rachel Faber Machacha. “On the industry side, Sarah has excelled by pursuing opportunities across specialties. She is among the most well-rounded students in her cohort as a result of her multiple internships, competition involvement and club activities.”
Reflections as a Husky
At the University of Washington, I learned that growth begins with saying “yes” – with intention and curiosity. Serving as the Design Engineer for the American Concrete Institute, contributing to an accounting textbook through the Foster School of Business and studying landscape architecture abroad in Rome strengthened my ability to think across disciplines and view the built environment from multiple perspectives. As a Construction Management student, I’ve connected classroom learning with hands-on internships and strive to lead with authenticity and service as I enter the industry.
“I’m really proud of how I’ve taken advantage of college and been able to do everything that I wanted to do, like making friends, traveling and engaging in new experiences,” reflects Sarah, “I think the past four years have been like a really big season of growth for me.”
One of the biggest pieces of advice she has for future students is to be open to trying new activities.
“Try to say yes and just be open to try new things. I think a lot of the really impactful and memorable experiences that I had in college came from seemingly random moments of saying, ‘yes’,” says Sarah.
She also emphasizes that getting involved in organizations related to their major, like ACI, is essential for finding community and support at the UW.
“Sarah is a fantastic example of a student who is drawn to excellence at UW and then enhances it with her own energy and curiosity,” adds Rachel. “I have great faith in Sarah’s ability to make a substantial impact on the building industry and contribute to solving the energy, sustainability, housing, and infrastructure problems we face as a society.”
Congratulations, Sarah, on being honored as part of the 2026 Husky 100!