The Engineering Experience

Making the decision to come to Purdue wasn’t an easy one for me. I was coming from a very small high school with almost no STEM program and I had no engineering experience. Honestly, I had almost no confidence in my decision to even pursue engineering in general. At times, it felt like a decision I had made on a whim.  Some people might relate to this, and others may not. A substantial number of my fellow engineers that I’ve talked to had at least some experiences that were similar. What I mean to say by this is that whatever you’re feeling, you aren’t alone. Whether it’s doubts regarding where you’re going, what you’re studying, or even if you can handle it, there is a whole community here who understands and has your back. The following picture was taken after the completion of one of the hardest and most frustrating project’s I’ve ever worked on. However, while it was very stressful and tested my limits, I came out of it a much stronger person and engineer, and I am so grateful ...

With March being Women's History Month and International Women's Day being this week, I have been reflecting on how grateful I am to have the opportunities I do, especially to study engineering at Purdue. I asked three fellow Purdue engineering students what it means to them to be a woman in engineering. Emma Balevic, Mechanical Engineering '24, posing with Neil Armstrong "I’m lucky to come from a family with both men and women who studied engineering, so I always felt supported as I pursued a major in mechanical engineering. As much as I’ve appreciated the support from my family and friends, I’ve still experienced my own set of struggles. Being a woman in engineering has shown me how to accept the differences in this community and pursue my goals regardless of what’s standing in my way. I’m excited to continuously use my experiences - both good and bad - to mentor young women who are interested in STEM and encourage them to pursue their passions." - Emma Balevic,...