Two Purdue University Global graduates to speak to board of trustees in advance of Saturday commencement on campus

Public invited to celebrate Purdue Global graduates at commencement ceremonies in Elliott Hall of Music

Brock Turner has earned three degrees from Purdue University Global.

Today (Dec. 3), the six-year Purdue West Lafayette employee will address the Purdue Board of Trustees about his experience.

“Graduating from Purdue Global means this is the culminating point of years of hard work and life events, but this is also my opportunity to start utilizing the skills this university has provided me to better the lives of those in my community,” said Turner, who recently began working as a health and human science educator for Purdue Extension in Tippecanoe County.

Turner, formerly chair of the Campus Support Staff Advisory Committee at Purdue, earned a Bachelor of Science in health and wellness in 2019, a Master of Science in health education in April and a Master of Public Health in November.

“Purdue Global allowed me to gain the skills I needed to change careers and impact the lives of those within my community,” Turner said.

Also speaking to the trustees today will be Deja Trotter, who earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and this week started her “dream job” as a staff accountant with the Indiana Pacers. She previously attended four-year college but chose to pause following the birth of her first son.

“Graduating from Purdue Global means a lot to me because I honestly did not think I would have graduated if I would not have transferred,” said Trotter, who graduated magna cum laude. “Being a single mom of two boys, working and going to school seemed pretty much impossible, but with the support of my family and of the faculty at Purdue Global, they made it possible.

“I knew I needed to find a school that was geared toward working adults. I did my research and found Purdue Global. I was able to transfer all of my credits, take classes at a time that worked for me and graduate.”

Turner and Trotter will join more than 1,700 Purdue Global graduates taking part in commencement ceremonies Saturday (Dec. 4) in Elliott Hall of Music on the Purdue West Lafayette campus. Some 814 people are scheduled to participate in two in-person ceremonies (10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET) and 901 more virtually.

The ceremonies are open to the public, and tickets are not required.

The graduates reside in 49 states – including 305 Indiana residents – plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while nine additional countries will be represented: Canada, China, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Turner is one of 38 employees of Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Fort Wayne, Purdue Northwest and Purdue Global who will receive a Purdue Global degree or certificate via the Purdue Global education benefit. Some 495 have done so since Purdue Global’s formation in 2018.

Aron Lee, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force who has served for 22 years and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in health and wellness from Purdue Global in April, will deliver the commencement address.

A total of 10,924 Purdue Global students have graduated in the last year.