Blake Saunders:
Meeting The Challenge

Blake Saunders hasn’t graduated from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management yet, but he already knows how to put together quite a deal.

In the summer before his final semester at Purdue, the management and finance major enlisted Purdue junior Chris Moorman for an eight-day networking and fact-finding trip to Dubai, the financial heart of the Middle East. Saunders and his friend funded the unofficial trip by putting together financing from alumni, the Krannert Leadership Fund, the Center for International Business Education and Research and other sources. The deal enabled Saunders and Moorman to meet with 27 business executives in 14 different firms, including representatives of the finance and private equity industries.

This kind of hustle isn’t unusual for Saunders, who received the Hoffner Scholarship for academic and entrepreneurial accomplishments in 2007 and the Peterson Scholarship as one of the top entrepreneurs at Purdue in 2006. Originally enrolled in the University of Hawaii, Saunders left that tropical paradise behind for one simple reason: He wasn’t challenged enough in Hawaii. "If you don’t have a challenging environment, you can’t grow," Saunders says.

The financial support he has received from donors has helped relieve a burden from him and his parents, Saunders says. Receiving scholarships also enabled him to work as an unpaid intern with Lux Capital in New York City in 2008 and to participate in other activities he might not have been able to do otherwise.

At the University, Saunders is a member of the Purdue Foundation Student Board. He spearheaded a student ambassadors group to support Purdue’s new entrepreneurial certificate program. He served as director of development for the Sailing Team. One of the most delightful tasks of his college career was shepherding astronauts around campus last year when they visited for the dedication of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering.

As Saunders prepares for a December 2008 graduation, he is thinking about his career and about the mark he can put on the world. When working in New York City, Saunders was shocked by the amount of homelessness he saw. He wants to do something about that one day.

"One of my motivations in business is to gain the ability to have an impact on the people who do not have the same opportunities I’ve had," he says. "I hope one day to have the funds to create new opportunities and have an impact on my community."

Bruce Cooley:
The Deepest Kind of Gratitude

The recipient of multiple scholarships, Purdue University junior Bruce Cooley wishes he could have the opportunity to thank each and every person who donated to the funds that helped him pay for school.

“What I’d tell them is thank you,” Cooley says. “It would not just be a shallow thank you. It would be passionate. It would say: Because of your generosity, I have been able to do these things. You have allowed me to make incredible friendships. You have caused a pivotal change in my life. You have given me the opportunity to fulfill my aspirations of educational excellence.”

The youngest of seven brothers and sisters, Cooley is an agricultural and biological engineering major from Greenfield, Ind. Growing up in a farming community, Cooley takes pride in the work ethic that his family and employers helped him establish.  “I’ve been working since I was big enough to pick up a bale of hay, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.  I learned so much through those times.”

After his parents divorced when he was in the sixth grade, his oldest brother struggled to work during the day and take college classes at night. “He would have been the first of  us to go to college,” Cooley says, “but after one semester, he decided that he couldn’t pull the strain of working and of getting a degree.”

After that experience, his brother sat Cooley down and told him that if he wanted to get a college education, he would have to excel academically, so he could qualify for  scholarships. Cooley did just that, winning the Gordon Slack Memorial Scholarship and Leonard B. Clore Scholarship among many others.

His time at Purdue has been wonderful, but it hasn’t been without bumps. “The first semester I was here was a very humbling experience academically,” he says.

But Cooley says he is happy that Purdue is “so tough” because that means the University’s great reputation follows every graduate. “It’s extremely challenging, but I wouldn’t change a thing. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth it.”

The University has also given Cooley a broader view of life.

“I grew up in a small community. There were 90 in my graduating class. In the entire high school there was only one African American family. Now, I live less than a block away from a mosque and a block and a half from a Jewish center. To sit down in an engineering class on the first day and talk to someone who had just gotten off the plane from India is pretty amazing.”

Cooley is active in the Purdue Foundation Student Board, Greek Intervarsity, the Collegiate Farm Bureau, the Gold Team, FarmHouse Fraternity and the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana.

Jill Steiner:
The Measure of True Success

Even though Jill Steiner has barely begun her senior year at Purdue University, she already has her post-graduation job lined up. But that isn’t what thrills Steiner the most.

“I love helping people find what it is they like to do and helping them to learn and understand what they need to be successful,” she says. “When people are successful, they’re happy, and I think that’s important for the entire world.”

An agricultural communications and agricultural economics major, Steiner has already been fulfilling her dream of helping others. She is the only student member of the Purdue Board of Trustees. She is president of the Purdue Foundation Student Board, a member of the Glenwood Cooperative, and among many other activities, has been involved in the Old Masters program, Mortar Board, agriculture ambassadors and the Agriculture Council.

Steiner grew up on a farm near Berne, Ind., population 4,250. Her mother has a beauty salon in their home and her father farms and owns a construction business. Her little sister, Jamie, is a sophomore at Purdue.  Scholarships have been important, she says. “They’re really how I’ve made it through Purdue.”

Steiner says she would like to be able to thank each donor who made her scholarships possible. “I would tell them thank you for your contributions, for having a passion for Purdue, and for really trusting in the future. They trust us enough to give money to help us succeed.”

Steiner has had three internships. For the past two summers, she has worked for the Monsanto Company. After she graduates, Steiner will be going to work in field sales  for Monsanto in the Toledo, Ohio, area. Eventually, she will work as an account manager.

Calling her time at Purdue “awesome,” Steiner says she delights in the many activities and different kinds of people at the University.

“I have absolutely loved this experience,” she says. “I would not have traded it for anything. Now as a senior, it’s fun for me to see other people get involved and to see  them grow and learn from their experiences.”

Patrick Haller:
What Does a Scholarship Mean?

Cincinnati senior Patrick Haller isn’t shy when asked about what his scholarship means to him. “It means everything,” he says. “If I hadn’t had this scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to come here.”

A National Merit finalist, Haller came to Purdue University as a Steven B. Beering Scholar. The scholarship was created by Beering, who served as Purdue’s president from 1983 to 2000. Covering all college expenses and including a cash allowance, the scholarship also allows students who maintain the required academic standards to use it for graduate school.

Beering sees the scholars several times a year. Haller says he enjoys those visits, but he hasn’t had a chance to tell the former Purdue president how he feels. “I’d like to have a chance to tell him how much it has meant to me,” Haller says.

Despite the fact that chemistry was Haller’s least favorite class in high school, he decided on the major after sojourns in management and psychology. It was his experiences in chemistry classes at Purdue that won him over.

“As it turned out, the more chemistry I’ve had, the more I’ve liked it.”

Haller has enjoyed his time at Purdue. “I’ve gotten a good education, a well-balanced education; Purdue has a lot to offer,” he says.

Haller is active on the Purdue Foundation Student Board. Through his work with the board, Haller met astronauts and New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas Friedman. The work has also helped Haller learn how to talk to and feel at ease with just about anyone.

Haller is still mulling his post-graduation options, which range from going to graduate school to working for a pharmaceutical company and seeking a career in another industry.  Although he is still uncertain about his future, Haller does daydream.

“I think I’d get the most fulfillment if I worked for a drug company and helped develop the next great cancer drug or a drug for AIDS,” he says. “I’m really not sure yet, but a lot of prospects are out there. As long as I keep working hard and following the opportunities that are meaningful, I’ll be happy.”

Vince PeGan:
There’s No Place Like Home

When Lafayette native Vince PeGan started looking for the right university to attend, he had two criteria: The perfect college had to have a top business school, and it had to be a great value.  His search led him to the University of Southern California and other schools, but in the end PeGan realized that there truly is no place like home.

“I wanted to be in management, and I started looking around at what I thought were the top schools,” PeGan says. “Ultimately, when it came down to it, it didn’t make much sense to leave the Lafayette area. Krannert is a well respected business school, and it’s affordable.”

PeGan’s passion for business comes from his family. His parents, Pete and Vanessa PeGan, own Main Street Mercantile, a furniture and antiques store in downtown Lafayette.

Purdue University has provided everything PeGan hoped for and has helped him develop as a person.

“Purdue has really brought me out of my shell,” he says. “It’s allowed me to break out socially. I’ve met so many outstanding individuals and made relationships that I’ll have the rest of my life. It’s developed my social skills, professional skills, as well as developed my analytical thinking in the classroom.”

PeGan has strong ties to the gold and black. His parents both attended Purdue. All three of his siblings attended Purdue. His two oldest sisters attended other universities as freshmen before making their own homecoming decision and transferring to Purdue.

Although every scholarship recipient is grateful, PeGan has more reason than most to understand how the generosity of donors transforms lives. His experience in meeting college bills included a couple of years of tight times, but this year multiple scholarships came to the rescue.

“It was quite a struggle,” he says of the lean times. “I was trying to get money to keep my head above water. With the scholarships I’ve received this year, I’m not worried anymore. Now I am able to focus on campus activities, classes, and getting the most out of my final year in college. I cannot thank those who provided the scholarships enough. I hope one day I can return the favor to students like me.”

PeGan is seeking a sales or marketing position for his first job after graduation, and eventually he wants to start his own business. Ultimately his goal is to follow up on two trips he has taken to Cameroon in West Africa, and help Third World countries improve communications and access to the Internet.

“I would like to take whatever influence and power I am able to accumulate and use that to help those in need,” he says.

PeGan is involved with the School of Management Council, the Old Masters program, and the Purdue Foundation Student Board. He is also a proud member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Laura Kightlinger:
Fulfilling a Dream

You could call Laura Kightlinger a Boilermaker baby. Both of the parents of the Indianapolis accounting and management major attended Purdue University. Her sister went to Purdue, and when it was time for Kightlinger to look for the right university, she went through the obligatory motions of  examining other schools. But the outcome of the search was never in doubt.

“I grew up coming to campus and going to sporting events,” Kightlinger says. “I always dreamed of coming here. When I was in the college search process, I couldn’t find a place I liked better.”

Now a senior, Kightlinger’s college career has been all she hoped for and more.

“It’s been an absolutely fantastic experience,” she says. “There are so many opportunities to get involved in different ways. And all the people I’ve met, both students and faculty, have helped me to use my talents to become who I was meant to be.”

Kightlinger has received several scholarships, including the Krannert Dean’s and Margaret Moan Rowe scholarships. She was named an Indiana Resident Top Scholar.

When asked what she would say if she had the opportunity to talk to all of the donors who made those scholarships possible, Kightlinger says she would do her best to convey her deep gratitude.

“I’d tell them how valuable the scholarships are and how much I’ve appreciated their generosity,” Kightlinger says. “I’ve tried to make an effort to get the most out of my experience at Purdue. I’m so grateful that they’ve given me the opportunity to be here.”

Kightlinger has been more than busy as a Purdue student. She is a Management Ambassador, a member of Mortar Board and in the University Honors Program.

Meanwhile, the future looks wide open. Kightlinger already has one job offer, but she plans to interview with other employers.

“I do want to work internationally at some point and go back and get my MBA in a few years. Whatever I do with my career, I want to find a way to give back, whether that is monetarily or by working in  nonprofit management.”

Amy Conklin:
A Love Story of a Different Sort

Call this a love story of a different sort. When asked why she decided to attend Purdue University, senior Amy Conklin isn’t coy.

“When I came to campus for a visit, I just fell in love,” she says. “It’s one of those things where when you come, and it’s the right place, it just feels perfect. I even love how with all the brick buildings, there’s a little bit of old and a little bit of new. I love everything.”

A dietetics and nutrition, fitness and health major, Conklin was also wowed by Purdue’s reputation, its faculty and its research activities. Since arriving in West Lafayette from her hometown of Fairborn, Ohio, Conklin hasn’t been disappointed. However, she does admit to being a little intimated sometimes by working with the top professors in her field.

Conklin also says she loves the University’s diversity. “With students’ different interest areas, all the majors, different ethnicities, diverse religious views, and some majors having varying numbers of females and males, it’s very interesting to see how all of that plays out and to figure out what people will chose to do, and why they will choose a particular activity or area of interest.”

Scholarships have made a Purdue education possible, Conklin says. “I’m paying for most of my college, and as an out-of-state student, it’s a little expensive. Scholarships have helped me focus more on my academics, research projects, and on my leadership opportunities, instead of having to work all the time to defray college expenses.”

One of the scholarships Conklin received was named for aviator Amelia Earhart. “I was flabbergasted to receive something in her name because she’s such a distinguished person,” Conklin says.

After she graduates, Conklin will serve a one-year internship to complete her dietetics major. Afterwards, she plans to attend graduate school and hopes to eventually work for an organization like the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the National Institutes of Health, or to do extension work.

Ultimately, though, Conklin wants to help others. “One of my favorite quotes is: ‘For it is in giving that you receive,’” she says. “I just want to give everything my all to make others feel comfortable and empower them to positively shape the world.”

At Purdue, Conklin serves as an ambassador for the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and as president of the College’s student council. She is in the Consumer and Family Sciences Honors Program and a member of the Purdue Foundation Student Board.