HONORS COLLEGE NEWS
MAY 2022 ISSUE
The Honors College at Purdue University Northwest enhances the learning experiences of highly motivated and academically exceptional students.
Honors College students engage in advanced coursework, experiential learning, substantive research and collaboration with the University’s most outstanding faculty. These opportunities foster academic excellence, leadership skills, social and civic responsibility and other virtues required of outstanding citizens and innovators.
Dear Honors College Students and Friends,
We’ve reached the end of another academic year and we’re surrounded by the excitement of commencement and lots of end-of-the-year activities. It’s been quite a year for the Honors College. Even a short list of highlights would include record numbers of new students, more student service hours and projects than ever, a record number of students doing stacked course projects and research, a wonderful 5K walk, and an exciting Habitat for Humanity Wall Build. As life on campus and in the dens returned to normal this year, we all experienced the excitement and enthusiasm of the Honors College, as well as the care, community and camaraderie we so value.
I want to thank our Honors College staff—Debbie Bachmann, Allison Vickers, and Gina Marzilli—for all they’ve done this year to make Honors work every day. A special shoutout also goes to our HSAB student leaders who again excelled in their dedication, leadership, and service. And a special congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2022!
I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and enjoyable summer!
Best regards,
Dean's Book Club: Honors Tackles "Can We All Be Feminists?" Led by Allison Vickers
The Dean’s Book Club is a chance for Honors students from all majors to come together and engage in conversation in an informal, relaxed setting. This semester, the Dean's torch was passed to Honors Academic Advisor, Allison Vickers, to lead a Women's History Month Book Club.
Students and staff read and discussed Can We All Be Feminists?, a collection of short stories that tackled issues of privilege, intersectionality, and the tendency of marginalized groups to be overlooked in mainstream feminism.
Book Club was held on March 8th, October 22nd and November 29th in the Honors Den, from 12pm to 1:30pm. Be on the look out for next semester's book selection and sign up to join the discussion!
Women's Leadership Luncheon 2022
The students that are nominated for the luncheon are recognized for incredible examples of leadership and celebrates the inspirational careers of our student leaders in particular.
This year's luncheon took place on Monday, March 28th in Alumni Hall and featured keynote speaker, Dawn Reynolds-Pettit, an alum (MA Organizational Communications) and current Regional Vice President of Human Resources at Hard Rock Casino in Gary, IN.
Students rode on a tour bus and hopped on and off to explore historical crime scenes like the St Valentine's Day Massacre. They also listened to true crime stories about Chicago Gangster Al Capone, John Dillinger, Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti, Leopold and Loeb, and more. In addition, students participated in interactive live commentary and watched video footage about Chicago's grizzly underworld.
Where will the Dean go next? Tune in next semester to find out what adventure awaits in the Fall!
Mike Andrade represents House District 12 in the Indiana House of Representatives: Munster, Highland, South Hammond, and North Griffith. He also serves on three committees: Commerce, Small Business, and Economic Development; Employment, Labor, and Pensions; Veterans Affairs and Public Safety.
Andrade also serves on several boards, including the Governance Committee for United Way of Northwest Indiana, and he has ties to PNW! He serves on the Chancellor’s Board of Advisors, and Board of Directors for Challenger Learning Center.
Andrade is one of two Latino legislators in Indiana’s House of Representatives. He is part of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, appointed Commissioner for the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, and also Chairs the Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives Advisory Board for PNW.
On March 23rd, Andrade gave an inspiring talk about how he overcame barriers to become the leader he is today. His emphasis on using a position of leadership to help others was inspiring, engaging, and spoke to the heart of our Honors College.
State Representative Mike Andrade -- Thank you for all you do for the region!
The Mid-east Honors Association Conference (MEHA) is dedicated to enhancing opportunities through networking, learning about best practices from other institutions, and exploring the cultural and historical aspects of the city where the conference is being held.
This past April, a group of students attended MEHA in Cleveland, Ohio to bring back knowledge and insight from other Honors colleges and programs to enhance the student experience here at PNW.
This year's conference was themed New Beginnings: a fitting title, given that this is our first conference back in-person as our Honors College (and many other colleges and programs, as it turns out) learn to adapt to the "new normal" and find solutions to the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Our students contributed to the discussion by doing round tables and a poster presentation to reflect on the past few years and share what our Honors College has done to overcome some of these hurdles. In addition, we explored the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Art Museum, House of Blues, and did a city-wide scavenger hunt to see some of Cleveland's most historic sites.
Mulch Madness
Thanks to our grounds department, led by John Bachmann, we get to experience the magic of spring on our very own campus each and every year.
We owe a huge thank you to him, his fabulous grounds team, and our student volunteers that assisted with the mulching in order to bring beauty to our university!
CommuniTree Planting
There is no better way to ring in the spring and celebrate Earth Day than by partaking in a community tree planting project! That is exactly what our Honors volunteers did this April.
Our students grabbed their shovels, threw on their best gardening gloves, and planted 3 trees for residents along Waveland Ave in Hammond, IN and 14 trees on the Hammond Campus Grounds. -- That's a lot of trees!
Beehive Painting
Our previous newsletter detailed the partnership between PNW and Earthling Bee Company to collect more than 200 pounds of honey to debut the new "Pride Gold" brand! It was then that our students first contributed by bottling and labeling each jar of honey that was distributed.
You can read more about this in our December 2021 Issue: https://www.smore.com/kv5t2
Since the partnership began, our students have worked hard to contribute to the initiative. Both last summer and this past semester, they put their creativity and artistry to good use by coming together to paint PNW bee hives! After all, the sustainability initiative wouldn't be the same without putting the "Pride" in "Pride Gold."
We believe that part of what makes an outstanding citizen and leader is demonstrating civic responsibility and working to leave a positive impact on the community.
To achieve our philanthropic mission, not only have we participated in roughly 72 service events in the 21-22 school year, but we also hosted our 2nd annual 5K Community Walk Fundraiser.
Last year, we hosted our first 5K amidst a global pandemic. The walk took place to raise funds for the Dean's Emergency Fund in order to help students that were facing financial difficulties. Following the success of last year's walk, Honors College decided to give it another go!
PNW AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WALL-BUILD
Although the 5K was a huge success, our work was just beginning! Now that we raised the funds, it was time to start building.
On April 29th, we came together once again to get to work in the Hammond Campus parking lot. With the help of PNW Honors students, the Construction Management Club, Habitat for Humanity, Khalia Smith and family, we built 15 total walls (interior and exterior) for the new home.
In 8 months, this house should be standing in the midtown section of Gary, Indiana known as the Field of Dreams, a neighborhood that Habitat for Humanity has been working to build and restore for local families dating as far back as 2007!
Our crew made great time, finishing just before lunch. The walls were then loaded onto trucks and transported back to the build site adorned with warm messages written from our volunteers.
🏡
"We wish your family the best."
"This house is built different."
"May peace, love, and prosperity be with you."
"Best of luck."
Kara Maggio - Former Intern at RSM
This past semester I lived in Arizona completing an audit internship at RSM. RSM is the top middle market accounting firm in the U.S. This internship prepared me for my career like no other. I was able to get hands on audit experience with clients while working for a giant international accounting firm. This internship has been a major steppingstone into my auditing career at RSM beginning late August 2022 as a full-time audit associate. I am incredibly grateful for my time at PNW, the Honors College, and the support I have received along the way.
Rachel Fleszewski - Former Intern at FunFlatables, Inc.
"I completed an administrative and accounting internship for FunFlatables Inc. this semester. This internship taught me how to run payroll for 13 locations biweekly, keep QuickBooks updated and organized, and how to journal reports. My supervisor, the owner, also let me shadow her on certain business meetings and gave me a glimpse into what running my own business would look like. I also learned how to interview a potential employee, which will help me perform better when I am the interviewee. I have gained great insight and experience from FunFlatables, Inc. to bring with me when applying for my future career job and am very thankful for this opportunity!"
Joshua Phillips - Intern to Full-Time Security Analyst
Learn how student Joshua Phillips utilized 2 internships to land his dream, full-time position:
Intern at Cimcor, Inc. | Merrilville, IN
"At Cimcor, I held the position as QA (quality assurance) Intern. It is a fancy way of saying software tester. My main duty was bug testing. I got paid to break stuff. More technically, my responsibilities were testing software/workflows for errors and verification before building deploys, creating and keeping proper notes and documentation and collaborating with software developers to fix bugs. While in this internship, I also got to go to Anaheim, CA and Orlando, FL to participate in trade shows."
Intern at BDO Digital, LLC | Oak Brook, IL
"After transitioning over from the Service Desk team in December of 2021, I was able to join the newly formed Security Operations Center (SOC) team in January of 2022. My responsibilities were to:
- Investigate, document, and report information security issues/emerging trends
- Analyze/respond to hardware and software vulnerabilities
- Monitor user activity, network events, and signals from security tools to identify events
- Determine which alerts and other abnormal activity represent real threats"
Transitioning from Internship to Full-time
"Both internships offered me full-time positions, but I accepted the position at BDO Digital to become a SOC Security Analyst. This position is 100% remote and fulfills my long-time dream of entering into the cybersecurity field.
Having both internships gave me real world experience to help me decide whether or not I wanted to go into cybersecurity. One was software testing for a cybersecurity software and the other was being on a cybersecurity operations team.
Being able to do this actually prepared me with the experience and knowledge to ensure that cybersecurity is exactly what I wanted to do when I graduated. Full-time positions usually look at years of experience and working with these internships gave me experience before graduation."
Saige Addison
"During my time at PNW, I've loved attending the events that the Honors College puts on. As a student, it's been fun to seek and earn leadership positions within the university which is something that I will miss as I complete my degree. This summer, I am excited to begin taking courses in a combined PhD and Master of Social Work program!"
Zachary Eng
"I have been with Honors College all four of my years here at Purdue Northwest. My favorite part of the Honors College has been the relationships that I made with the students and staff inside of the college. These relationships have been extremely meaningful to my experience here at PNW and I hope to continue the relationships beyond my college career. Currently, my plans are to continue my education here at PNW with the MBA program with a concentration in accounting. I was so fortunate to choose Purdue Northwest Honors College and I will definitely owe a lot of my future successes to it."
Natasha English
"I have really enjoyed my time at PNW. My favorite part about the Honors college was having the opportunity to meet and socialize with many students outside of my major. After graduation, I will be working as a Registered Nurse at Community Hospital on the Neuro Intermediate Care Unit."
Mitchell Gajda
"I particularly enjoyed the out-of-the-box experiences from taking different Honors courses such as Leadership and Model UN (Special Topics). After graduation, I am looking forward to starting my career full-time with Navistar in Lisle, IL. They are an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for several commercial vehicles on the roads today, including semi-trucks and school buses. The Honors College has provided me with additional tools beyond the standard curriculum that will leave me prepared for any challenge that comes my way."
Meaghan Hillier
"I have loved my time at PNW and, most of all, have loved being in the Honors College. The Honors College is the most welcoming and best place to be on campus. It has helped me to become more outgoing and has improved my leadership skills. I have enjoyed being part of the Honors Student Advisory Board and being the Chair of the Events Committee for the last two years planning events for our fellow students. I plan to work in a nearby hospital after becoming a registered nurse!"
Daizha Hunter
"What I enjoyed most about Honors is the opportunity to serve as a peer mentor. I loved being able to connect with incoming freshmen and guide them towards the beginning of their wonderful journey with the Honors College. In the upcoming fall semester, I will be attending Governor's State University to pursue a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. My ultimate goal in life is to become a clinical psychologist and help those within my community.
Stephen Kamps
"There’s a lot to love about the Honors College. I personally appreciated the opportunities that they gave for me to become a Peer Mentor and a Teaching Assistant. I also loved helping out at the Science Olympiad every year. Over the course of my four years here, I was able to meet many great people at participation and volunteer events. I also really enjoyed having the freedom to take special topics courses with all the other Honors students. Lastly, I deeply value what I have learned from many of the older students, especially my Peer Mentor. Upon graduation, I will be pursuing a career in Design and Programming as an Engineer. I hope to apply what I have learned here and pick up many new things along the way. Never stop learning!"
Kathryn Keen
"I started in the honors college a little later than most by becoming an Honors student in my sophomore year of college. Thankfully, through the help of my Honors advisors, the honors college dean, and great support system, I have been able to work hard and accomplish this program. In the future, I plan to go to graduate school for either a degree as a licensed mental health counselor or as a licensed clinical social worker. Until I decide to take that next step, I will be working as a case manager at the Swanson Center in Michigan City. I also plan on working as a client assistant for The Caring Place, a domestic violence shelter I interned at during my final semester at PNW. During my time off from school, I plan to save the money that I make at this position to relieve financial stress off of me when I do go to graduate school."
Kara Maggio
"I have enjoyed every moment in the Honors College. The family-like atmosphere has been my favorite part about it. The administration does a fabulous job encouraging such. This past semester I lived in Arizona completing an audit internship. After graduation I will be taking a job in Phoenix, Arizona as an Audit Associate with RSM.I am infinitely grateful for my experience with the Honors College here at Purdue University Northwest and look forward to seeing the success of my peers in the future."
Travis McKinney
"I would say my favorite part about the Honors College is the networking. I really enjoyed getting out and talking to all sorts of different people. My future plan is to work with the Department of Defense, which means I will probably end up somewhere a lot warmer than here. It’s been a long journey to get to this point, but I am excited to see what the future holds."
Caroline Orzel
"My favorite things about Honors these past 4 years included peer mentoring, various events that were hosted, and meeting so many new people. I have grown so much throughout these 4 years and I am grateful for the different experiences I have had! My future plans after graduation is to pass the NCLEX, obtain licensure, and make this the best last summer before retirement. My current plan is to find a Registered Nurse position in the Emergency Department or a different floor that interests me and continue learning and growing."
Aneri Patel
"My favorite part about being in the Honors College has been planning events such as the ice cream social, tree plantings, or the 5K Walk. The events we host are always lively and engaging! One of my favorite memories thus far has to be attending and presenting at the MEHA conference (and going to the House of Blues)! My four years in the Honors College have been truly wonderful and I will miss all of the staff and students. After graduation, I am working in a manufacturing company as a design engineer. I plan to pursue graduate school to obtain my MSME and MBA sometime in the future as well!"
Joshua Phillips
"My favorite part of the Honors College was being able to meet so many friends that will be with me for YEARS to come. I enjoyed serving as a Peer Mentor and a Coordinator to help students see their true potential in themselves. Upon graduation, my plan is to work as a full-time SOC Security Analyst at BDO Digital in Oak Brook, IL."
Lordes Raguindin
"I enjoyed connecting with new people and participating in meaningful and fun events and volunteer opportunities for the Honors College. I also enjoyed the classes that the Honors College offered! My future plans include gaining experience in the Emergency Room before I decide to specialize in Pediatrics. Furthermore, after gaining experience as a Registered Nurse, I am hoping to get my Doctorate of Nursing Practice and become a Nurse Practitioner in my chosen specialty. I would not have been able to fulfill my dreams without my parents, family, best friends, boyfriend, my Nursing and Honors professors, and lastly, Debbie, who has supported my journey with the Honors College ever since I started as a freshman."
Nicole Richardson
"I am moving to Indianapolis to attend graduate school at IUPUI in the middle of May! I will be pursuing a doctorate in occupational therapy. The honors college has given me the chance to meet new people and explore new things outside of my comfort zone. I am excited to start my next adventure!"
Natalia Salazar
"I really enjoyed that the Honors college always helped me fit my classes into whatever I was doing. For example, I was able to get Honors College credit for the internship that I was a part of abroad. This summer I will be starting at Northwestern's Medill Program for Investigative Journalism and am excited for what else the future holds."
Caleigh Smith
"My favorite part about being in Honors is attending the social events and helping out the community through volunteering events. My future plans after graduation are to continue my education at PNW by pursuing a masters degree in mechanical engineering. In the next year of graduate school, I plan on working part-time at an engineering company that will give me the experience needed to jumpstart my career."
Anna Wachowski
"I am grateful to have been a part of the Honors College because it provided excellent courses and opportunities, and it encouraged me to volunteer for the surrounding community. Now that I am graduating, I am applying for elementary and special education teaching positions, as that is my passion and my degree. I also might have more time for some hobbies! I love reading, baking, crafting, and playing any sport that gives me a reason to be outdoors."
Antionette Yasko
"As a member of the Honors College, I was able to gain valuable insight into different courses from other Honors College students, while also connecting with faculty. The dignity with which Honors' students carry themselves is apparent and their warm, welcoming atmosphere serves as a pillar for other students. My time at PNW has been incredible. My thanks goes to all the faculty and staff that allow the program to continue, including Debbie, Dr. Swarts, and my advisor Allison. I will be continuing my education this fall at Purdue University in West Lafayette as I begin to earn my PhD in Biological Sciences."
