Student Spotlight

In this feature, we celebrate Boilermakers at every degree level who are making strides towards self-betterment and exemplify one or more of the Steps to Leaps learning pillars - Well-Being, Leadership, Impact, Networks and Grit/Persistence.

Nominate a Student

Know a student, faculty or staff member who exemplifies one of the Steps to Leaps learning pillars? Use the Steps to Leaps Spotlight Nomination Form to start celebrating their achievements!

 

Inseong Hong Photo

Inseong Hong

December 2023 - January 2024

Inseong Hong Builds on Her Leadership Skills at Purdue

Inseong Hong, a senior studying business communications with a minor in human resources management, has found her stride in leadership at Purdue. Over the past few years, Inseong has been busy taking advantage of her time on campus by fulfilling many leadership roles.

In 2021, Inseong served as the vice president of internal affairs for alpha Kappa Delta Phi (aKDPhi), an Asian interest sorority that promotes the pillars of sisterhood, leadership, scholarship, service and Asian awareness to all members. She later served as the sorority’s president in 2022. Inseong says that she struggled to find representation growing up in the Midwest and was pleasantly surprised by the Asian population and strong community she found at Purdue.

Read more about Inseong here.

Andrew Eichemeier photo

Andrew Eichmeier

November 2023

Andrew Eichenmeier on Using Purdue’s Opportunities Today to Be a Better Leader Tomorrow

Andrew Eichenmeier, a senior studying political science, has just a little time left to decide what his next steps will be after graduation. He enjoyed working for a government defense contracting agency last summer, just finished applying for a fellowship in Indianapolis and is waiting for his LSAT results. Andrew certainly understands and values the education and opportunities that he has been given at Purdue to help prepare him for his next giant leap – whatever that may be.

Read More about Andrew here.

Shye Robinson photo

Shye Robinson

October 2023

Shye Robinson Shares How to ‘Be Present’ in Networking

Shye Robinson, a double major in political science and brain and behavioral sciences with a minor in Spanish, is grateful for the opportunities that she has found as a student at Purdue University.

Outside of class, Shye finds comfort in the many memberships and leadership positions she holds around campus. She is most recognizable as the Purdue Student Government (PSG) President, but she also serves in the Political Discourse Club and is a member of the Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement (CCSE), where she took part in the Boilers Go to D.C. (BGDC) to learn about Washington D.C. and the ever-changing political course of the US. When not focusing on her studies, Shye likes to roller skate, watch TV and work on a podcast she started last December.

Read more about Shye here.

Photo of Ryan Daniels

Ryan Daniels

September 2023

Ryan Daniels Shares How to ‘Level-Up’ Your Impact

Ryan Daniels, a junior studying film & video production, is all about taking that perfect shot. When she graduates from Purdue, she hopes to obtain a position in the sports production industry someday. When not in the classroom, Ryan is the vice president of operations for the Purdue Student Union Board (PSUB), a dean’s ambassador, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) chair for the College of Liberal Arts, the treasurer for Purdue Student Productions, and participates in two choirs – Heart & Soul with Purdue Musical Organizations and the Black Voices of Inspiration with the Black Cultural Center.

Read More about Ryan here.

 

Kelsey Kruyer photo

Kelsey Kruyer

April 2023

Kelsey Kruyer on Networking Within Her Community at Purdue

Kelsey Kruyer, a junior studying biomedical health sciences on a pre-dental track, with minors in anthropology and psychology, is passionate about her role as a resident assistant (RA) at Meredith Hall. Kelsey says that some of the inspiration for what she does today stems from the unusual situation of arriving at Purdue as a first-year student during the pandemic.

Read More about Kelsey here.

 

Carter Mayhan photo

Carter Mayhan

March 2023

Mayhan on Making a Major Impact at Purdue

Carter Mayhan, a junior studying mechanical engineering with a minor in management, is passionate about what he can bring to the table at Purdue. Outside of the classroom, Carter is a project manager for Purdue Solutions Consulting, a student-led technology and management consulting operation. In addition, Carter serves as a tour guide for the Office of Admissions Ambassador program.

Read More about Carter here.

 

Shane Gibson photo

Shane Gibson

February 2023

Shane Gibson Hammers Down the Path to His Future

Shane Gibson, a junior studying supply chain and sales engineering technology with a minor in construction management at Purdue, wants to use his education to own his own company someday. Coming from a family in the construction field, Shane hopes to carve his own path in construction sales as a supplier.

Read More about Shane here.

Megan Bixler photo

Megan Bixler

January 2023

Megan Bixler Shares How to Find Your Community

Megan Bixler, a junior studying agricultural economics at Purdue, is excited about where her degree will take her even though she hasn’t settled on a specific path yet. “My degree is so broad and there are so many things you can do within agricultural economics,” Megan says. “I could go into planning, marketing, agricultural education outside of the classroom, tourism, policymaking – the options are really endless!”  

Read More about Megan here.

Jerica Drew photo

Jerica Drew

December 2022

Jerica Drew and Making an Impact on Tomorrow

Jerica Drew, a senior in the School of Aviation Technology and Transportation at Purdue’s Polytechnic Institute, is no stranger when it comes to making an impact in her community. Prior to arriving at Purdue, Jerica actively served our country for five years in the United States Navy and completed three years of reserve service.

Read More about Jerica here.

Kaustubh Ray photo

Kaustubh Ray

October 2022

Graduate Kaustubh Ray on Impact and Networking His Way to NASA

Kaustubh Ray, a spring 2022 graduate of Purdue’s Aeronautical & Astronomical Engineering undergraduate program, is currently interning as a systems engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Inspired by the stars while away at NASA, he is also working as a part-time direct-Ph.D. student in the Gambaro Graduate Program of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue.

Read More about Kaustubh here.

 

Luke Thesier photo

Luke Thesier

September 2022

Building an Impact with Luke Thesier

Luke Thesier, a construction management technology (CMT) major from Purdue’s Polytechnic Institute, wants to eventually be the one “running it all” when constructing buildings. In addition to the sticks and bricks, the CMT program at Purdue taught Luke about installing piping, electrical components, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), so that he can eventually bid for work after graduation.

Read More about Luke here.

 

Rachel Wong photo

Rachel Wong

August 2022

Senior Rachel Wong Gives Tips on the Steps to Leaps Pillar of Networking

Rachel Wong, who is double majoring in management and marketing with a concentration in innovation management, learned to face her social networking fears by jumping headfirst into student clubs and organizations. She says when she first came to Purdue, she felt it was important to immediately leap out of her comfort zone and get involved in student organizations - especially at the beginning of the school year.

Read More about Rachel here.

Natalie Nottolini

Natalie Nottolini

Summer 2022

Natalie Nottolini on Leadership and Impact

As a first-year student, it did not take long for Natalie Nottolini to discover that the then marketing major was not a fan of … wait for it: marketing. Instead of panicking, Natalie took another approach – she hit the books and researched other majors within Krannert School of Management to see what might interest her...

Read More about Natalie here.

Ashley Bagadiong photo

Ashley Bagadiong

April 2022

Ashley Bagadiong's Inspiring Take on Grit and Developing Her Leadership Skills

Ashley Bagadiong, a senior in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, has big aspirations for her future career. The first goals she has set for herself are to work in the consumer-packaged goods industry and run for office someday.

Read More about Ashley here.

Delaney Mortimore photo

Delaney Mortimore

March 2022

Delaney Mortimore Incorporates Impact into Action

Delaney Mortimore, a senior majoring in human services within the College of Health and Human Sciences, works hard to incorporate the Steps to Leaps pillar of Impact into her actions by focusing all her energy on social work, case management, societal issues and community activism.

Read More about Delaney here.

 

Tiffany Pai photo

Tiffany Pai

February 2022

Tiffany Pai is Taking Leaps to Social Change

Tiffany Pai, who is pursuing an economics degree through the three-year program in the College of Liberal Arts, is all about helping others. From the moment that Tiffany stepped on campus, she knew she wanted to create an impact. She discovered a path to impact quickly when, as a first-year student, she discovered Purdue’s Civic Engagement and Leadership Development (CELD) department. At the time, CELD had just launched the Leadership Experience at Purdue (LEAP) program, and Tiffany was selected to be part of the first cohort to participate. 

Read More about Tiffany here.

Sabria Croom photo

Sabria Croom

January 2022

Sabria Croom’s Take on Impact, Well-Being and Grit

Sabria Croom, a senior studying accounting, is on the student advisory board and serves as the student director of the ACE Campus Food Pantry at Purdue. When asked what her secret is to stay on top of her school and volunteer “game,” she says it is essential to prioritize oneself to help others.

Read More about Sabria here.

 

Nominate!

Know a student, faculty or staff member who exemplifies one of the Steps to Leaps learning pillars? Be sure to use the Steps to Leaps Showcase Nomination Form here to have them highlighted!