Melody Birmingham-Byrd’s destiny as a future leader was set in motion on Purdue’s campus.

“My fellow first-year students in Earhart Hall asked me to serve as their Freshman Board President. At such an early age, and being new to college, I had not considered taking on a leadership role. However, I believe that nomination from my peers was my first Indiana president position!”

What are you job duties?

Maintain and update software related to corporate and investment banking.

Who would you like to thank as you finish your time at Purdue and start your career?

I would like to thank my fellow classmates and TAs for always remaining so encouraging as we tackled our course work and other challenges. I highly recommend making friends in your classes early on, it will only make your time here more enjoyable!

As a female manager in the construction industry, Brittany Remec is often asked how she got into her field. “My story starts with my time at Purdue and the Construction Management degree I worked hard to earn,” she says. “The College of Technology was my first stop on my campus visit. When I was introduced to the Building Construction Management program, I realized the program fit my personality and goals, and I knew that’s where I was meant to be.”

“I acquired valuable technical skills at Purdue,” says Jennifer Rider, president and CEO of Lafayette Instrument Company, “After graduation, I interviewed with a multitude of companies and decided to work for a day-trading firm in Austin, Texas. Working with the latest technologies at Purdue meant I was immediately able to contribute in my new position.”

“Holder Construction Company is on the bleeding edge in the use of BIM and VDC in the commercial construction industry. I want to be a leading force to change the face of our industry with this technology,” says Shanna Morrett, manager of VDC at Holder Construction, referring in shorthand to the construction industry technologies and processes known as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC).

“My Purdue coursework included projects that spanned multiple weeks with a variety of deliverables, and completing the work successfully required teamwork. This is exactly how the real world works,” says Karen Waldenmeyer, staff software engineer for technical architecture at GE Aviation.

Kristie West’s Purdue journey began as a pharmacy major, but after a year of classes and an internship, she learned that she needed something that was more interactive with people. She found her new home in the College of Technology’s OLS (what is now technology leadership & innovation).