Ukari Figgs (ME’99) is one of the most accomplished athletes in Purdue history. Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, in 1977, Figgs was an immensely talented basketball player in high school. In 1995, she led her high school team to a state championship and earned the title of Kentucky’s Miss Basketball the same year. During the 1998–99 […]
As a child and a teen, Mike Duffy’s (T’02) interests were highly varied. He built a photography darkroom in his parents’ basement. He spent two summers at journalism camp. He played around on computers, which were just becoming common in households in the ‘90s. After he left Purdue, Duffy’s résumé was just as colorful. He […]
Lamar Lundy (HHS’57) arrived at Purdue in 1953 from Richmond, Indiana. At 6 feet 7 inches and 200 pounds, he was a dominant presence in both basketball and football. A three-time letter winner, Lundy was named Most Valuable Player in both sports during his senior year. On the basketball court, Lundy played center for the […]
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 […]
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 […]
While Daryle Whyte (ECE’91) has enjoyed tremendous professional success at big name companies — Amazon, IBM, and Wells Fargo Bank to name a few — the road to success wasn’t always obvious. “Purdue was a lesson in staying the course,” comments Whyte. After his sophomore year, Whyte began to have doubts about whether or not […]
Growing up, Myron Hardiman (CE’69) wanted to be a farmer. “I spent my summers on my grandparents’ farm in southern Indiana, and I loved to ride the tractor and work in the fields.” As Hardiman entered high school, however, he realized that farmers didn’t earn much money. “Even though I had never met an engineer […]
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 […]
