07-07-2025
Attending Purdue football games with my dad was my gateway into a lifelong love for Purdue. The roar of the student section ignited something in me, and even as a kid, I knew exactly where my future would be. So, when the time came to take the next big step, Purdue was the only choice.
Following in my dad’s footsteps to become a Boilermaker was easy but choosing my major wasn’t. My dad graduated in culinary arts, but that path didn’t feel right for me. Reflecting on the high school classes I enjoyed, the ones that challenged me, and those that could lead to a career, I realized I loved business, particularly finance. I decided to double major in finance and accounting.
Purdue’s accounting pathway is like one of those choose-your-own-adventure books. There are electives in the first year, after which I had the freedom to choose between courses, an option to study abroad and great resources to help us earn an internship.
I wouldn't be a Boilermaker without my dad's lifelong loyalty to Purdue.
During my freshman year, I made sure to read every email I received. One day, I came across an email about a new program: the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC), which was marketed as a ‘guinea pig program.’ It offered specialized classes about the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), a guaranteed paid internship in junior year funded by the federal government, and most importantly to me, a stipend each semester to help cover education costs.
Financial stress had always been one of my biggest burdens as a student, so DCTC felt like an incredible opportunity. When I applied, my parents were ecstatic, hoping for the best. That summer, before my sophomore year, I received my acceptance letter. I immediately ran upstairs to share the news with my parents. We shared the joy and relief. I carried that excitement all the way into the fall semester as a member of DCTC’s first cohort.
Through DCTC, I learned how things operated in the public sector, how big of a part finance played, and what it costs to run U.S. defense operations. Coming in with a finance mindset, I had to shift my perspective to the DoD’s mission: to provide what the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. The coursework wasn’t overly difficult but it challenged me to think differently than in my business classes. The program emphasized group collaboration, frameworks, logic and fundamentals that applied not only to work but daily life. For example, the lesson we learned about evaluating systems could be applied to studying the world and people around us.
In April during my sophomore year, our cohort finally learned about our internships, which would be starting May 1. We’d waited a nerve-wracking year without knowing where we’d be placed. We truly felt the “guinea pig” part of being the first cohort.-- Now, placements happen earlier.
They assigned me to a naval base in Washington, D.C., for acquisition consulting. The stipend for relocation eased my fears about the cost of adjusting to a new city in under a month. The naval base culture shocked me, though. Everyone had a warrior mindset. They spoke in that tone. I found myself constantly playing catch-up, although Purdue prepared me well to interact with the engineers around me. Without going into the nitty-gritty, I can say I learned and grew during that summer. Brainstorming sessions pushed me to think in ways I hadn’t before. I credit DCTC and this internship for enhancing my DoD knowledge and professionalism.
Upon graduation, most of my cohort entered two-year jobs with the DoD. While I considered the options, as the DoD hopes its cohort members do, I chose to enter the private sector. This fall, I’ll begin as a finance and accounting manager at Procter & Gamble. DCTC helped me realize my passion lies in private industry finance. If I could redo college, I wouldn’t give up DCTC for anything. I ended my DCTC service with a deep understanding of government work that I’ll carry into every aspect of my life.
This summer I’ll be traveling all over the world before I start my career in the fall. I’ve planned road trips across the U.S. with my friends, booked international flights and hope to solo travel a bit. I’m excited to live life to the fullest and will always look back on my college career with gratitude and pride.
John Eberle grew up in Fishers, Indiana, and graduated May 2025 with a degree in finance and accounting. He was a part of Purdue’s first cohort of the Defense Civilian Training Corps, and also a member of the Doster Leadership Conference, Financial Management Association, Delta Sigma Pi and Purdue Accounting Association. In the fall, he will start his first professional position at Procter and Gamble as a finance and accounting manager.
