UPenn Posse Alum Leads in STEM as South Florida Engineer
Scarlett Luis, a 2016 Posse STEM graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering. Now back in her home region of South Florida, Scarlett has spent four years working as a grid automation engineer at Florida Power & Light (FPL).
At FPL, Scarlett works to optimize and automate workflow systems, building resiliency in grids to reduce the amount of time communities are without power. The Miami native serves as the membership outreach director for the Women and Energy Employee Resource Group at NextEra Energy Inc., a parent company of FPL. She also volunteers for SCORE- Miami-Dade, which provides webinars and workshops for Spanish-speaking families aspiring to start their own businesses.
“I am the first one in my family to have gone out of state for college. My Posse was really a support system.”
During her studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Scarlett participated in three summer internships that all related to engineering and power delivery. She was inspired to then complete graduate studies alongside her bachelor’s in a five-year “3-2” program.
“I am the first one in my family to have gone out of state for college,” Scarlett says, recalling her student experience. “My Posse was really a support system of people I could reach out to.”
As an undergrad, Scarlett served on the executive board of the campus dance team, also teaching in a Philadelphia youth dance program. She was a member of the Latino honor society, Cipactli, which acknowledges students’ individual academic achievement, valuing leadership and distinguished service to the Latino community.
“Posse transformed my life and gave me sense of having a family [on campus], by developing close bonds with Posse peers before going to college,” Scarlett says, noting that the cohort dynamic as evolved over the years. “Now we’re still friends and we go to each other’s weddings. It’s a source of happiness and a lasting relationship.”
