When I first started my college journey, Purdue wasn’t on my radar. For the longest time, I thought I wanted to study architecture at the University of Tennessee. But, coming from Madison, Indiana, and graduating from a private high school with only 19 students, I knew Purdue’s reputation and scale would open doors I couldn’t find anywhere else.
Initially, I enrolled in Graphic Design — I wasn’t directly admitted into the business school yet. However, I was determined to major in Finance. I made it a priority in my first semester to accomplish my goal of transferring to the Mitch Daniels School of Business. This meant that my first year was focused on proving myself. As a first-generation student, this added another layer of pressure because I felt the need to prove that I belonged here. I worked hard to achieve the GPA required to transfer into the business school, and my academic advisor helped me through every step of the transfer process. When I finally became a business student, it was a moment of relief and pride. But that was just the start of my journey. This set a precedent for the rest of my academic journey. Since I worked hard to be in the business school, it only felt right to continue with the same determination and resilience.
My freshman year was about learning how to navigate college. By sophomore year, I felt ready to be involved. I found my home in Scope Consulting, a consulting club that taught me problem-solving frameworks I still use today, which gave me a close community of friends. I also joined the Brock Wilson Center, which introduced me to a powerful community of women and opened the door to internships. Through the Monarch Career Fair, I made my next giant leap — securing an internship at Caterpillar — which was how I learned to navigate corporate America, ask questions and trust my advisors.
While I enjoyed my first internship at Caterpillar, I wanted to try a different industry to broaden my perspective. Both real estate and pharmaceutical manufacturing fascinated me, and destiny ultimately led me to Eli Lilly. I’ll never forget receiving the offer during fall break while I was with my friends. At first, I just stared at the email in disbelief. Then the excitement hit. I called my parents, and we screamed on the phone together. My friends joined in, celebrating right alongside me, and that night we celebrated more over dinner. It felt surreal, as if all the long nights of hard work and persistence had finally paid off. Conscious of being a first-gen student, I realized in that moment, I can really do this.
At Lilly, I worked in the neuroscience division. I built a financial model to forecast operating expenses for upcoming launches. Because this project was initially quite intimidating, I realized that I had a lot to learn, not just from the project, but also from the people at Lilly. My colleagues, mentors and leaders — Hannah Cohen, a Boilermaker, who supported me every step of the way, to leaders like Jon Huag, the Senior Vice President and Treasurer, who took time to speak with me even though I was just an intern — wanted to see me succeed. That experience gave me the confidence to pursue my interest in finance. I can’t wait to return next summer to work at Lilly full-time.
Beyond internships, my involvement in clubs has been just as transformative. Scope Consulting gave me the chance to work on real-world business cases and taught me how to approach problems with structure and confidence. Leadership roles in the Purdue Real Estate Society pushed me to grow as a teammate and a leader, and the Brock Wilson Center connected me with mentors who encouraged me to keep pushing forward. These experiences prepared me for the “real world” by showing me how to balance academics, leadership and community.
Studying abroad in Madrid took that growth a step further. Living and learning in a different culture reminded me that with determination and hard work, I can adapt, thrive and achieve anything I set my mind to. For me, it was a reminder of how far I’ve come from being a nervous first-generation freshman, and how much is possible when you allow yourself to dream big.
