Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Viveca Fairbanks-Henderson (ECE’90) recalls being homesick when she initially came to Purdue as a freshman. “It was difficult to be away from my family in the middle of cornfields,” Fairbanks-Henderson says. “My parents reminded me that it was only four years of my life that would enable me to have the […]
This story is sponsored content. Alumnae share their roads to success at KAR Robin Leslie (T’84) doesn’t think of herself as a trailblazer. But when she enrolled in computer information technology at Purdue, the department was in its infancy. She was one of few women in the major — and one of few students of […]
Antoinette Rayburn (LA’92) arrived at Purdue from a self-described sheltered life of suburban Chicago. Although she wasn’t fully prepared for the reality of Purdue, she soon connected with other students and found a sense of community. “There was so much love and understanding because we were such a close-knit family — a school, within a […]
Linda Jo Mitchell (LA’69) was born in Gary, Indiana, attended Toleston High School in Gary, and later went on to study the humanities at Purdue University. As an undergraduate, Mitchell was very involved in scholastic activities and was an energetic participant in the civil rights movement. As she states, “Talk is therapeutic. Speak frankly, say […]
“I really enjoyed my experience as a Purdue student,” shares Anika Goss (LA’93). “Although the African American student body was very small, the community felt close and supportive.” Today, Goss is using the tools she acquired at Purdue in the city of Detroit. As the executive director of Detroit Future City (DFC), a think-and-do tank, […]
Taking control of your career is a bold action. While you can’t control everything, you can take steps to increase your chances at a fabulous career. There is no better time to refocus and reinvent yourself than during a career transition. Take this time to reimagine and reinvent! 1. Don’t expect someone else to manage […]
As an undergraduate, Dwana Franklin-Davis (M’01) found the academic standards of Purdue to be rigorous, but they helped prepare her for her future career. She initially enrolled as a computer science major, where she was often the only black woman in class, which made establishing her place in that academic community daunting. “There wasn’t a […]
Cynthia (M’90) and Eric (T’89) Newman are co-owners of the The Newman Group of Indianapolis Inc. and regional vice presidents with Primerica Inc. where they help families make sense of their money. Cornell Bell was a major influence in both Cynthia and Eric’s development, having recruited them to the Business Opportunity Program (BOP) from Lew […]
Alumna embarks on a 500-mile journey to grapple with her devastating diagnosis and advance breast cancer screening for others The pilgrim gripped each stone, one by one, turning it over in her hand. She felt its weight and ran her finger over its surface before laying it gently down at the base of the Cruz […]
As the first black dean at Purdue, Emily Mobley faced challenges with others assuming she was an affirmative action hire, something she addressed in a 2009 interview with the Purdue Exponent: “Some people thought I was hired because I was black, but I was qualified,” Mobley said. “They didn’t expect that I had the skills, […]
