Like many other students, Hailey Benfield, a junior majoring in environmental and ecological engineering (EEE) at Purdue, says he wasn’t sure what her next steps would be when she arrived in West Lafayette for her first year on campus.
Benfield always knew that she liked science and math. As time progressed, she realized that engineering could allow her to put her passions to use in a career. While working an internship last summer, she saw first-hand how the work and knowledge she was gaining at Purdue directly applied to the professional world. That connection was crucial because today, she has found her footing thanks in part to her mentor, the student organizations she participates in and the strong network of friends she has supporting her.
Benfield serves as the mentorship chair on the Purdue Society of Women Engineers (SWE) executive board, where she helps run and plan mentorship programs for the group. Purdue’s SWE chapter has a proud history that dates back 60 years. During that time, SWE has continuously provided events to stimulate professional development and networking opportunities, create outreach opportunities for prospective students of all ages and host informal social events for organization members to enjoy time with others in engineering.
Benfield is also a member of the Society of Environmental and Ecological Engineers (SEEE). SEEE offers social opportunities that Benfield enjoys, such as movie nights and dinners. SEEE also provides volunteer opportunities and a supportive network of classmates in the EEE field. In her spare time, Benfield is an ambassador for EEE. Ambassadors talk to prospective students about life as an EEE student at Purdue and help to answer their questions as they determine whether Purdue EEE is the right fit for them.
SWEekend is another program through which Benfield creates an impact. She loves how the weekend invites prospective students to live a “day in the life” of a Boilermaker. These students go to class, eat in the dining halls and more. Her favorite part of the experience is when she sees those same girls a year later when they are on campus as Boilermakers. Benfield says she feels she makes the biggest impact on girls who want to make the leap to Purdue to pursue an engineering degree.
When students consider how they can make their greatest impact, Benfield leaves the following advice.
“Finding what you are most passionate about first, is important,” Benfield says. “Until then, you cannot expect to influence others. Once you realize your passions and what you strive for, you will find you are impacting others. I love to be a leader. That is where my impact lies – because I can see what I have done and how others are benefitting from it.”
To take care of her well-being, Benfield loves to counter her stress by being outdoors. As a Colorado native, she enjoys hiking, taking pictures and being surrounded by beautiful mountains. She also tries to attend as many concerts as her wallet can afford. In West Lafayette, she recommends stepping away from the computer for an hour to allow for some personal time to boost your well-being. That time could be as simple as grabbing some ice cream with a friend. She stresses (no pun intended) that in the end, these breaks will help make you feel better as a person.
Benfield also recommends that students find a mentor – someone who has “been there and done that” - so they can ask questions and de-stress. When she started as a freshman at Purdue, Benfield’s mentor happened to be her best friend’s older sister, who was a senior at the time. Benfield advises that a mentor doesn’t need to be from the same major, degree or even college as you. They can be anyone willing to provide you with time to help you understand your feelings and alleviate any fears you may have as a new college student.
If you want to add Hailey to your network, connect with Hailey on LinkedIn.