The persistent pursuit of something beautiful

Aspiring animation specialist Erin Cook’s love for beauty and creativity doesn’t stop with her major. To her, music comes hand-in-hand with athletics, and she knew she wanted all of it in her college experience.

“I wanted a school with a big football program. A big football program would mean there would likely be a marching band program that I could be a part of,” she says.

Combining Purdue’s legendary “All-American” Marching Band with a degree program devoted to animation, Erin knew she was ready to be a Boilermaker.

Once she arrived on campus, Erin realized the band was just one of many exciting organizations she could find people much like herself. She joined Blackhole Studios (a student-run animation studio on campus), Women in Technology and Purdue Music Producers among others. Over the years, her opportunities within the marching band grew as well.

“I served as a student leader in the piccolo section during the Fall 2019 season and I’ve had the opportunity to perform internationally with the marching band,” she says. “I’ve been able to make lifelong friends and quality mentors from my time here at Purdue. The opportunities I’ve had are thanks to my choice to come here, and they’ve made my experience here all the better.”