The #Purdue Engineering undergraduate experience is coming to an end for thousands of students May 14-15. For many, it was a transformative time: entering college as a young person with dreams, exiting an #engineer equipped to accomplish them.
In the last “Faces of Purdue Engineering,” graduating seniors Maeve Hegarty (CE), Veronica Miller (NE), Simon Stallings (ME), Evan Stonestreet (ECE) and Clifford Underwood (ABE) share their experiences.
“Purdue Engineering has expanded my perspective on what’s possible for my career and life,” Underwood said. “It’s connected me with opportunities, companies and networks that I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. ... Overall, it’s been a foundation for both personal and professional growth.”
Opportunity was a common refrain, whether taking advantage of one of the nation’s largest student-run career fairs, surrounding themselves with fellow ambitious students to stay accountable or utilizing state-of-the-art labs in West Lafayette.
“We shouldn’t take them for granted. My most meaningful college experiences came from just showing up or saying ‘yes’ to things I wasn’t initially planning to pursue,” Stonestreet said.
That included attending callouts for student organizations, both professional and social. Those provided “support” and “balance” to the grind, Hegarty said.
And an avenue to meet like-minded people.
Sometimes in an academic setting — “good, productive teamwork will always lead to better results,” Stallings said — and some more personal.
Hegarty’s biggest takeaway has been the “connections you can make inside and outside of the classroom.”
Said Stonestreet: “I’ve been impacted most by the people I’ve met. I’ve formed countless relationships that will last long after graduation, and I have Purdue to thank for that. Campus is so diverse, and in just four short years I’ve been blessed to make friends from all backgrounds who constantly reshape my perspective on life.”
And, ultimately, change lives.
“I’m walking away with so much more confidence in myself than I entered with,” Miller said, “not only as an engineer but as a leader, a friend and a human.”
Full reflections at the link in bio.
It’s the end of the #Purdue undergrad journey for the Class of 2026. As these #PurdueEngineers prepare to walk the stage, civil engineering senior Amareah Bead and industrial engineering senior DJ Kim reflect on the moments that have led up to graduation in the latest installment of Walk the Mall.
Listen to the full conversation via the link in @purdueundergradengineers ’ bio.
Mitch Davis was curious.
Curious about Purdue, after coming to West Lafayette for a football game.
Curious about seeing the world and changing it.
And, when an email about an internship with the U.S. Coast Guard landed in his inbox, curious about how his budding computer engineering education could apply to national security.
Davis would have never recognized the potential had he not been enrolled in ENGR 10301 (Engineering in Public Service), a class offered by the Office of Professional Practice as part of an Industry Knowledge Certificate collaboration with the NobleReach Foundation.
“That class definitely changed my life,” said Davis, the latest to be featured in “Faces of Purdue Engineering,” “because if I hadn’t seen that e-mail, taken that class and gone on the class trip, I wouldn’t have had these opportunities to then go to Washington, D.C. for a whole semester.”
For 14 weeks, Davis and four other interns worked with the Coast Guard Robotics and Autonomous Systems program executive office. The internship connected artificial intelligence systems, data processing and robotics skills into one experience and set the sophomore up with professional ties he never would have imagined having so early in #PurdueEngineering.
“I initially wanted to pursue a career in engineering because it offered a link between challenging problems, STEM focused education and financial security,” said Davis. “I realized in my public sector experiences that innovation for public good can provide exposure to even more interesting problems and impact, without sacrificing valuable stability.”
Rockets. Need the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) say more?
For #PurdueEngineers in #Indianapolis, a quick weekend out of the city to launch a rocket is the culmination of months of prep work. Students involved dive into learning about engines, propulsion, satellites, active controls and more across 10 teams. Every team has one goal: the empower #Purdue students to innovate in space exploration.
Hear more about the student organization in Indianapolis through mechanical engineering student and SEDS Indianapolis president Courtland Bailey.
Meg Wentz always likes to say, “SWE is what got me here and what kept me here,” underscoring the importance of #Purdue’s section of the Society of Women Engineers to her Purdue University experience.
The fact that Wentz needed something to “keep her” at #Purdue is only a piece of her college journey, which included initially questioning whether she could even make it in #engineering. And then finding champions who altered her course. And, ultimately, her life.
Wentz’s resilience and leadership of PSWE — she rose to president of the organization — were two major factors in being named a Purdue Engineering Fellow in September 2025.
Read Wentz’s full story at the link in @purdueundergradengineers ’ bio.
A sea of people. Or a sea of resources? Can the bustling walkways of #PurdueUniversity be something more than busy?
Julián Torres-Corral (@purdue.ie ) and first-year engineering student Josh East chat about culture shock, tutoring at #Purdue, internships and getting involved in the latest installment of “Walk the Mall.”
Hear the full conversation, from Gateway to the Future arch to the Engineering Fountain, at the link in @purdueundergradengineers ’ bio.
Another #PurdueUniversity E-Week in West Lafayette and E-Day in Indianapolis is in the books. Check out highlights from the weeklong celebration of #engineering at #Purdue and hear why weeks like this matter from civil engineering student Katrina Leon and nuclear engineering student Drew Brackett.
Christopher Walker and Sara Standard were resolved: Their daughter would go to college. Even if they weren’t quite sure how.
They had Alexis when they were young but worked to make sure she was cared for, with plenty of help from Sara’s mom Kathy Cramner and Christopher’s parents Richard and Ursula.
Alexis always felt supported. Even to visit a college 2,100 miles from her L.A. home. Kathy was the one who joined Alexis at MEP’s “Preview” event for admitted students to #Purdue University.
Alexis Walker was in awe: touring campus and labs, learning about #engineering projects and classes, and meeting students.
“My horizons were expanded, and I realized the magnitude of being accepted to a university like Purdue,” Walker said. “During the last day of the Preview weekend, they explained to the group how to accept our offer. Without a second thought I accepted, and when I talked with my grandma about it, she was shocked because she knew we couldn’t afford it. I looked at her and I said, ‘Where God guides, God provides.’ ”
An “extremely generous” financial aid package followed, and Walker enrolled.
“Purdue Engineering attracted me because of the opportunity to become a trailblazer in my family as a first-gen engineer. When I came to campus I felt at home, and when I found (materials engineering) I really felt that I had found my niche,” Walker said.
“Combining physics and chemistry has been a big passion of mine since I was little, and Purdue MSE was the perfect place to actualize my dreams.”
Now, Walker — the latest to be featured in “Faces of Purdue Engineering” — is on the cusp of graduating. Commencement will be emotional, as she reflects on the journey and celebrates and remembers the impact of family.
“Every day I honor my (deceased) father by going on to do what he wasn’t able to because of some life circumstances that held him back. But he always worked hard and wanted to get closer to his family and to God,” Walker said. “My mom has worked extremely hard and earned her associate degree, which makes me so proud because she put her life on hold when she had me and my sister.
“I would not be where I am today without my family, friends and the church.”
College presents near-limitless opportunities. So, how do #PurdueEngineers choose what to pursue — and take care of themselves in the process?
Listen to @purdue.me senior Jacob Gee and @purduebme senior Maithili Upadhyay discuss how they’ve navigated making the most of their #Purdue experiences in Indianapolis, from self care to internships.
From first-year engineering students to professional #engineers: The transition begins with one simple step.
Students in #engineering pathways at #PurdueUniversity were invited to show off design projects to gain presentation experience — and in some cases, cash prizes — in the FYE design competition on April 11, 2026. The daylong competition was the culmination of a semester-long project and two rounds of competition, including a video presentation and detailed project documentation in the month prior to the in-person presentations.
The competition is optional, but many choose to compete for experience ... and the opportunity to take creative risks for the first time with no effect on a grade.
Check out the winning projects and learn more about the design competition at the link in our bio.
Amanda Nesbitt knew #engineering would be difficult. So a determining factor in her #college choice was an environment that would be collaborative, not competitive.
She found that at #PurdueUniversity in West Lafayette where “people are the nicest ever” and “always willing to help others.”
But Nesbitt’s first year at #Purdue also has come with surprises.
No. 1: Engineering isn’t just a grind.
“Purdue makes engineering enjoyable, which I never would have expected,” said Nesbitt, a John Martinson Honors College ambassador intending to major in chemical engineering and the latest student to be featured in “Faces of Purdue Engineering.”
No. 2: There are plenty of opportunities for release when engineering is, in fact, a grind.
An advisor encouraged Nesbitt to pursue interests outside of an engineering major and asked a simple question to get to the root of what that could be: What are you passionate about learning?
“I love art,” said the Charlotte, N.C., native, “and I never thought it could be an option to study alongside engineering.”
Now, she’s pursuing an art history minor, something she hadn’t been planning.
But it hasn’t just been about pursuing known passions for the first-year student. Nesbitt also has been encouraged to try new things, and that produced Surprise No. 3: an interest she never knew she had.
Nesbitt joined the improv comedy group “The Crazy Monkeys.”
“Purdue is continuously shaping me into not only an engineer but also a well-rounded person,” Nesbitt said.
