A Farewell & Reflection from a New Alumna

By -


When I was deciding which college to attend, I chose Purdue University not because of the strong engineering program (although that is a plus), but because it just felt like the right place for me to be. The truth is at that time I couldn’t possibly have known for sure whether or not I was making the right decision, but I haven’t regretted it a single day since then.

Unlike most students, my college career at Purdue lasted a total of 5.5 years instead of 4. This is because I participated in Purdue’s co-op program in which I worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation for two semesters, and I also later completed another semester internship with the Walt Disney Company. While some people think it is best to graduate in 4 years, I am very happy with my unconventional path because the extra time allowed me to grow personally and gain experiences I couldn’t have possibly had otherwise. 

In addition to my fulfilling internship experiences, I also had a variety of involvements in campus organizations such as Society of Women Engineers, Boiler Gold Rush, and the Women in Engineering Program. These involvements helped me grow personally and professionally, develop leadership skills, and build a large network of peers across campus. Additionally, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Hong Kong for a semester which pushed me out of my comfort zone and make lifelong friends from all over the world.

I truly believe that it was my decision to attend Purdue University and study engineering that made all of these amazing experiences all possible. I often reflect on how my freshman self could not have possibly predicted any of the things that have occurred during my time at Purdue, but I am so incredibly grateful for all of it.

I am now excited and ready to start my next chapter by joining the Boilermaker alumni family!

Boiler up!

LilyAnn Peterson Gapinski
Industrial Engineering Class of 2018
Former WE Link Leadership Team Member

Stay Connected With WIEP!
Facebook: Purdue Women in Engineering
Twitter: @purduewiep 
Instagram: @purduewiep
Blog: purduewiep.blogspot.com
Email: welink@purdue.edu



Purdue Women in Engineering

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Purdue Housing

By -
Image
One of the many concerns incoming freshmen have is what to do regarding their housing options. In addition to the roommate selection process, you may be interested in seeing your on-campus options in terms of amenities and the communities available within the building. For example, when I accepted my admission to Purdue as a freshman, I knew I was interested in a standard double that I had experienced at a summer college program. To ensure my University Residences housing, I applied to Vertically Integrated Projects so that I would be able to pursue a research project as a freshman while also guaranteeing my housing within Earhart Hall through the connected learning community. For more information on learning communities, read our previous blog! Many freshmen will live in a residence hall, even if they are not in a specific learning community. Now, as a Resident Assistant or RA in Earhart Hall, I have been trained on the term “residence hall”; our halls go beyond a traditional “dormito
Read more

Top 10 Extracurriculars Purdue Students Want You to Join Outside of Engineering

By -
Image
1. Purdue University Dance Marathon (PUDM):  The biggest student-run organization on campus! You can join as a dancer, where you get to fundraise leading up to the 18-hour long event or be even more involved and join a committee! Some of the committees include Riley Relations, where you fundraise to sponsor events for the Riley families throughout the year & are paired with a Riley family for the night of the event, Special Events Committee, where you organize 5K’s and other events around campus throughout the year, and so much more! 2. Boiler Gold Rush (BGR):  Whether it be as a new student, a team leader (TL), or even a Supervisor, there are so many ways to get involved with BGR! This week-long event is held the week before classes start in August. As a new student, it is your first chance to meet your new colleagues and participate in many games, fountain runs, and other fun activities throughout the week. It is also a great way to familiarize yourself with the campus an
Read more

A very (sub)objective review of dining options at Purdue

By -
Image
Jenn and her friends after the Thankgiving dinner Food is an integral part of our day. For some people, the very first thing they do in the morning is eat breakfast. I personally prefer my cup of coffee to a stack of waffles. Nonetheless, food has the power to pick up a bad mood, enhance a good mood, and even ease the stress you are feeling about exams and homework. The awareness I have of how food impacts my mood is recently found since I started college in August. at home I usually came home to my mom or dad making something delicious in the crockpot. Suddenly I arrive at college and there are so many options that it can get overwhelming at times to figure out what to eat. Navigating the dining options at college did not seem like something I should have been worried about, yet it was something that took a month of experimenting to perfect.  The key is knowing where to go and what is consistent. I decided to help you out and give you some insight into how I view each dining option on
Read more