Building a life you love. A home that’s your own.

Hailey Pike may have always envisioned a big school for her college experience, but that didn’t make the move to Purdue feel any smaller. It wasn’t her vision that made it feel closer-knit. It was her people, and that started with her academic program.

“Purdue, especially the College of Pharmacy, does an amazing job welcoming and supporting their students,” Hailey says. “The professors, advisors and teaching assistants make it obvious that they are there to help their students succeed.”

But she knew she needed peer support, too. So, Hailey made sure that when she arrived, she “went home” to a group of like-minded students at her residence hall. “I joined a learning community, so I was fortunate to live in the residence halls with a few other pharmacy students,” she says. “This provided a helpful home-base peer group.”

The next important step in her process was joining clubs and organizations. As a member of the Golden Silks Color Guard (which performs at Ross-Ade Stadium with the Purdue All-American Marching Band), “I have enjoyed being part of something so much larger than myself. It provided friendships and an opportunity to be part of a team,” Hailey says.

“The organizations I’ve been a part of have provided a support network and made a large university seem smaller.”