Psychological sciences student serves up success, from international volleyball to Purdue mentorship

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu

Tess Hawkins-Wilding (second row, third from right) cheers with the volleyball team at Lancaster University during her study abroad experience.(Photo provided)

When Tess Hawkins-Wilding, a junior in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences, quit volleyball after high school to pursue her psychological sciences education in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), she didn’t imagine she would be playing internationally in the Roses Tournament in Lancaster, England.

Having studied abroad during the entire spring 2025 semester at Lancaster University, Hawkins-Wilding’s international experience has shaped the trajectory of her Boilermaker journey.

Tess Hawkins-Wilding(Photo provided)

“Study abroad was a big accomplishment for me,” Hawkins-Wilding said. “I moved to a whole country by myself. I was 19 when I did that, and then you literally don’t have your family there. It’s not like you can fly home on the weekend if you’re having a bad weekend. I’m so proud of myself that I got to do that.”

For Hawkins-Wilding, reconnecting with volleyball was a rewarding experience in helping her meet people from around the world. Since returning to West Lafayette, she has joined an intramural volleyball team with other HHS students to continue her love for the sport.

“Playing volleyball overseas was such a cool experience because obviously everyone on the team is from different places,” Hawkins-Wilding said. “The women’s team was also really close with the men’s team, so I got to be friends with just the whole program. And then that opened up more opportunities for us to socialize with the other sports teams too. So not only was I in class with a bunch of people from different ethnicities and cultures, but also, I was playing volleyball with a bunch of people. And I got so close with literally everybody on the team. I’m still in touch with them today.”

The study abroad program also helped Hawkins-Wilding broaden her horizons and gain independence in navigating a new country alone. For Hawkins-Wilding, who came to Purdue in part because her brother also attended the university and her father worked there at the time, this was a big leap.

“I think it was really eye-opening to see how different cultures interact and also just traveling around and trying to figure things out,” Hawkins-Wilding said. “I think I gained a lot of independence while I was there, even though I was still doing so much with everybody else. I think it was really stressful sometimes to be able to figure out the bus system or the train system in a different country. It really opened my eyes to be more culturally aware when I was in different settings.”

Hawkins-Wilding (left) poses for a photo with fellow Success Mentors and Purdue Pete.(Photo provided)

At Purdue, Hawkins-Wilding is also heavily involved in the HHS Success Mentors program, where she has gradually worked her way up the ranks. Now, as a junior, she is a member of the Core Leadership Team (CLT), where she gets to oversee aspects of the program.

“I started off as a mentee, and then I told myself freshman year that every single year I wanted to work my way up on the leadership scale,” Hawkins-Wilding said. “So then last year, I was a mentor for half of the year, and then I studied abroad second semester, so I had to cut my time as a mentor short. This year, I’m a CLT, and I just oversee a bunch of the mentees and mentors in my ‘family.’ I honestly love being a part of the program.”

Since beginning as a first-year student, Hawkins-Wilding noted she has seen herself open up, both abroad and in West Lafayette, and is excited to see how she continues to grow as she looks toward pursuing graduate school in developmental psychology.

“I think I’ve really gotten out of my bubble,” Hawkins-Wilding said. “My problem-solving skills and also time management skills are so much better than they ever were in high school. Also, when something goes wrong, I think I’m really good at turning around and making a good situation out of what has happened, which is really good for me.”