We Power Purdue: The Grounds team behind campus first impressions
For Erin Sarafin, spring commencement doesn’t just mark the end of the academic year. It is what everything builds toward.
Erin has been with the Grounds Department since 2017. She calls commencement her Super Bowl. In the five weeks leading up to the ceremonies, she and her team work nonstop to mulch the entire main campus, getting it ready for the thousands of graduates and their families who will soon arrive.
“We Power Purdue means we are maintaining that first impression of campus,” Erin said. “You’re not going to talk to a person when you first arrive. You see the landscaping and the buildings first, and we help maintain that.”
That pride comes from more than 25 years of experience working with plant materials. Groundskeeping is not just a job for Erin. It is something she truly enjoys. Whether she is out and about on campus or working alongside her team, she finds a lot of purpose in teaching others and sharing her knowledge.
Erin started at Purdue as a seasonal groundskeeper and worked her way up to crew chief. Now, she leads with both experience and energy, feeding off the pace of campus and the people around her.
That energy really stands out during Purdue Day of Service, her favorite campus event.
“Everyone is upbeat and excited,” she said. “They want to contribute to campus, knowing it’s a presentation for everybody who’s graduating.”
We are invisible a lot of the time for the work we do.
Erin Sarafin
Crew Chief
Grounds Department
A lot of the Grounds team’s work happens behind the scenes, but Erin says the small moments mean the most. A compliment from a student, faculty or staff member can go a long way. It is a reminder that even if people do not always see the work, they still feel it.
When commencement arrives and campus fills with proud families taking it all in, Erin knows exactly what they are seeing. A place that was carefully prepared to welcome them.
How to join in recognition
We Power Purdue is about more than sharing stories, it is about celebrating people. Students, faculty and staff can show appreciation by:
- Filling out a Kudos card to recognize someone who has made a difference.
- Submitting a Thumbs Up through Purdue Today.
- Writing a note of appreciation to a service worker in a building or department.
- Sharing words of thanks in the comments on social media posts as new stories are released.
Each of these gestures, whether big or small, helps show the impact of service workers’ efforts and reminds them how much they are valued.