Aveena Rawal, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, is hoping to apply the skills she is learning at Purdue to help people in the biomedical field, motorsports or the auto industry. She also aspires to travel the world and see what it has to offer.

Outside of the classroom, Aveena has worked for Purdue Recreation & Wellness (RecWell) since her first year on campus and currently serves as the coordinator for member services. In this role, she handles training and supervises RecWell’s student staff area. She has constant interaction with the student staff to ensure they are staying on top of their job duties.

Rawal also serves as RecWell’s representative on the Student Life Student Advisory Board for Beth McCuskey and serves on RecWell’s student leadership committee. She says the RecWell committee has helped her develop communication skills with the approximately 800 students who work in the department. Recently, she has been working on a new initiative with the Student Life Student Advisory Board that will launch next month and provide a space for students to learn leadership skills from other students.

Rawal also enjoys her time on the Purdue Equestrian Team. She was one of seven riders chosen to represent the team at the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship, where she helped Purdue capture its first national title in school history. She has served on the team’s executive board for the last three years and is currently the head of public relations. She runs all the team’s social media accounts, handles marketing work and serves as the chief photographer.

On top of all her extracurricular pursuits, Rawal works for the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, where she performs research. 

Rawal says her greatest impact stems from her experiences at RecWell. She finds RecWell to be a place where students can come together, unplug and live a life outside of their studies – regardless of background. She supports this mission through her position in member services. Every day, she works to elevate the organization’s value of wellness and as a place of belonging by communicating these values to student employees.

“In my opinion, it’s my greatest impact on campus”, Rawal says.

To create an impact, Rawal says students should find what they like and see how they can make it better. Passion can fuel impact on campus. There are numerous resources students can lean on to bring their ideas to fruition. Her advice is to take the leap and see where it takes you. 

Rawal credits her leadership skills to seeking new opportunities. She has networked with numerous people at Purdue.

“The best way to learn is to just do and have those interactions,” Rawal says. “Professional development is a product of your environment. If you put yourself in environments you aspire to, then you will inherently develop those skills.” 

She advises other students to talk to others, ask questions and listen to help build their networks. Listening, Rawal says, is most important. Listening to people and extrapolating what you can from conversations is what builds networks. She says to pay attention to opportunities that come your way and ask yourself what you can get from what is in front of you. 

If you want to add Rawal to your network, connect with her on LinkedIn.