Degree: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
Purdue Stamps Scholars have an incredible community that fosters growth of younger students as they learn from their older peers. As such, in my early years, I was offered guidance from senior scholars which opened doors for my extracurricular activities and connections with professors. As I became one of those older members, I was able to pass on this knowledge and experience to our new students. Because of this, my undergraduate years were molded by the community of scholars that offered guidance and camaraderie.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
I would remind my younger self that it is okay to not have a detailed life path early on in college. The choices you make and opportunities you pursue shape your experience so drastically that the path will become natural eventually.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
I began undergraduate research early on in my junior year at Purdue after being approached to join the lab of a professor I worked for as a teaching assistant. He urged me to try research if any possibility of graduate school was in my future. Through his encouragement, I have learned to love research and have been able to find my niche in Mechanical Engineering. That simple push to try something new has ultimately helped me narrow my career goal to academia to combine my loves for teaching and research.
Please share your most memorable Stamps Scholar experience.
My most impactful Stamps experience came from the 2013 National Convention at the University of Michigan. I vividly remembering leaving that conference in pure awe of the scholars I have the privilege to call my peers. The conversations with fellow students confirmed that this was a group of people who would change the world one day. I was inspired to return to Purdue and accomplish as much as I could in my time as a Boilermaker. The contagious motivation is still a driving factor to excel as a representative of the Stamps Scholars.
Plans after graduation?
I am staying at Purdue to continue on towards my PhD in Mechanical Engineering!