The Primera Foundation is proud to announce its new partnership with the Philadelphia Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Members of Primera’s Mid-Atlantic team attended the organization’s 2025 Spring Scholarship Celebration on May 2nd, which recognized their collegiate scholarship recipients. Through the SWE Scholarship Program, the Primera Foundation supports female students who demonstrate excellence in science, mathematics, or engineering activities and are enrolled in an accredited engineering program at a college or university within the Philadelphia section boundaries. This year, the Primera Foundation’s scholarship recipients include Rhythm Osan and Baia Grdzelishvili.

Rhythm is a fourth-year Honors student at Drexel University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Structural Engineering. In addition to her impressive educational background, she serves as the Vice President and former Outreach Director for the Drexel SWE Chapter and will serve as President this upcoming year. During her time in SWE, she has worked with her peers to create a yearlong high school mentorship program, where they teach girls from local Philadelphia high schools about different engineering principles through presentations and hands on demos. She’s also the Vice President and former Secretary for the Drexel ASHRAE Chapter. Ryhthm has a deep interest in sustainable architecture and net zero energy designs for buildings and has completed several engineering internships.

Baia is currently a sophomore at York College of Pennsylvania, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. She has a strong passion for innovation and is committed to contributing her expertise wherever possible. Baia is a Presidential Research Scholar and serves as the President of the Student Alumni Board. Additionally, she is the Vice-President of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) student club and will serve as the President this upcoming year. She is also Secretary of the WISE club (Women in Science and Engineering), an active member of the college’s International Student Association, and was recently recognized as the top sophomore in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at her school. Originally from the country of Georgia, Baia is actively involved in research, leadership, and community service. She also finds joy in dance, art, music, and fashion.

Both young women were selected for the SWE Scholarship Program based on their exemplary coursework in science, math, and engineering, as well as their participation in various activities, teamwork, leadership, and scholarship. They also submitted compelling essays on their personal motivations for pursuing engineering. Each recipient was awarded $1,000 to support their academic pursuits. Both Primera Engineers and the Primera Foundation would like to extend their congratulations to Rhythm and Baia, along with all the other young women, for their continued success and dedication to their engineering careers!

The Society of Women Engineers, founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders. To learn more visit https://philadelphia.swe.org/.