Finding the right major

As a high school student, Faith Spencer always thought she knew what she wanted to do after high school. As someone who did well in math and science classes and had multiple Boilermakers in the family, she set her sights on a career in engineering. So it was a natural decision to take part in several summer engineering programs for high schoolers.

“I realized quickly that a theory-based engineering major wasn’t a good fit,” Faith says. “Attending those different summer camps was very much an eye-opener to me.”

And even though technology still appealed to her, she wanted to have a more direct hand in helping people as well. Those two passions felt oddly disconnected, so she knew it was an important breakthrough when one of her teachers suggested cybersecurity.

Read Faith's story to learn how she landed her unique major

Building real-world skills

For Nikhil Anand Dhoka, earning an A-plus is not about the grade. It’s about the ability to build skills and train for a world that’s ever evolving.

“I know that things will change so quickly in the roles that I’m in,” says Dhoka, a Purdue computer science and mathematics student in Indianapolis. “It’s why I think it’s important to be adaptable to new possibilities.”

Emerging fields in computer science can be challenging to forecast, but he’s building the abilities he’ll need to succeed now. He’s committed to always learning something new and seeking opportunities, setting the foundation for an exciting career in technology.

Receiving a perfect 100 score on the final exam is a byproduct of the greater motivation at play.

“It’s really not about the grade,” he says. “I know that when I push myself to achieve more, I’m preparing for learning and self-teaching throughout my life.”

Read how Nikhil Anand Dhoka's classes in Indianapolis are preparing him for a successful career

Pursuing affordability, again and again and again

When Chase Morris applied to Purdue, he viewed the University as his dream school.

“I knew that Purdue is a really good school, and I knew it would look great on my resume,” Chase says. “That name recognition is important. If you go to a school like Harvard, for example, people will think of you a certain way right off the bat. I knew that Purdue had a similar reputation.”

When Chase found out that he was admitted to Purdue, he was thrilled. “My parents were really happy, too.”

Next for Chase and his parents was making their college-costs game plan. By working with Purdue’s Veterans Success Center and exploring the benefits available to him as the son of two veterans, Chase discovered he had more options than he thought.

Read how Chase was able to pursue an affordable education at Purdue