Writer: Matt Vader | Editors: Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic, Danielle Fawbush
Editorial Board: John Eckman, Barb Frazee, Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic | Inquiries Contact: studentlifemarketing@purdue.edu
Clara Suh credits living on campus with enhancing her academic experience at Purdue, and after living in University Residences for four years in Shreve, Third Street Suites and Windsor Halls, the graduating senior is now on her way to the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Suh, a native of Crown Point, Ind., finished her undergraduate degree in biology this May.
“I really enjoyed always having a community of people around me at all times. Furthermore, living on campus five minutes from my class, with food offered at all times, makes life so easy to just focus on schoolwork and activities. If I could take the On-the-GO! option of the dining courts with me to medical school, I would,” Suh said.
Suh was also a member of Purdue’s Mortar Board chapter and contributed to the Mortar Board’s annual leadership conference and gained experience by working as a co-chair. “I was given the responsibility of planning a conference attended by 300-plus nominated student leaders from across Purdue. The opportunity to impact the people around me was very exciting, and I learned a lot about leading in a large team-scale setting,” Suh said.
Along with living on campus and working as co-chair for Mortar Board, Suh added to her Purdue experience by attending University Residences’ Women’s Leadership Series this year. The series included four events for female student leaders living on campus and female leaders around the community, coming together to inspire one another with stories of accomplishments and ambitions in life.
“I felt honored to be able to attend. I never had the opportunity to attend a women-specific conference, while I always wanted to. It was a really exciting opportunity to share our stories and meet women from across campus who were all dedicated and trying to make an impact in their own way,” Suh said.
After four years of conferences, leadership positions, academics and residential life, Suh is ready to move on to the next chapter in her life. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine will be home for Suh for the next four years, and though she has secured her spot, the journey to it was a long one.
“It’s been a long process of applications to about 15 schools, so initially I considered many different places. For my interview invitations, I had also considered Case Western, Harvard and Columbia. At the end, I really liked the emphasis on teamwork at Northwestern along with the kind and genuine classmates I met there,” Suh said.
Suh beat the odds, roughly a 4 percent acceptance rate, and was admitted to one of the most sought after medical schools in the nation. The decision proved hard for Suh, but she followed her instincts.
“It’s actually been a tough decision, but I ended up choosing Northwestern because I felt incredible support from the administration and camaraderie between the students. I know that the next four years won’t be easy, and I wanted to go somewhere where I could find the best support system in terms of classmates and mentors to hit the ground running,” Suh said.
After medical school, Suh hopes to stay in academic medicine and potentially work in a university hospital. Ultimately, Suh would like to work as both a doctor and clinical researcher, specializing as either a pediatrician or a psychiatrist.
University Residences hosted its third annual #URSuccess social media contest this year, where we ask students to share examples of success in in the residence halls on their Twitter, Facebook or Instagram pages. This is a great way to highlight both the amazing students that come to Purdue and the wonderful communities and opportunities offered by living on campus. This year we received more than 100 incredible submissions from over 50 individuals, creating a tough time for our panel of judges to choose these five winners.
The contest coincides with the period in which students can renew their housing contracts for next year, so only students who are registered to live in University Residences again in the fall were eligible to win. Posts were judged on creativity, originality, and showcasing the theme of success in University Residences. Here are the winners:
Nicholas put together a creative video called “Shrevival,” a survival show spinoff about Shreve Hall. He managed to set up camp, find a water source, and go hunting throughout the video. Nicholas was awarded free housing for the fall 2016 semester for showcasing how he is successful on campus!
Matt showed what living in Shreve was like for him and his friends this year. His recreation of Pure Michigan’s famous commercial for his floor 6-West earned the entire floor a pizza party at Harrison Grillé.
Jamila captured the essence of creating a community on campus with a slideshow of pictures featuring the friends she has made while studying at Purdue. Jamila’s prize is a free parking pass for the 2016-17 school year.
Will filmed Shreve 4-West having a Viking-themed floor dinner at Earhart Dining Court with their Faculty Fellow, Jason Ware, and his kids. Will presented and enforced the 3 rules for a Viking Dinner: no utensils, no cups, and yes Viking noises. Will won pizza at Harrison Grillé for his floor.
Hyesoo was awarded the prize for the resident assistant whose floor produced the most entries for the contest. Hyesoo contributed several entries herself, and her floor tallied more than 50 posts altogether. Hyesoo won two tickets to a Convos concert and dinner at the Sagamore Restaurant at Purdue Memorial Union.
Back Row, L-R: Max Leeds, Alex Marcellus, Christian Bencid, Brittany Vanek, Jake Alden, Andrew Wakefield
Middle Row, L-R: Kurtis Sluss, Natalie Lamport, Alyssa Chandler, Nathan Scott, Shane Stiner
Front Row, L-R: Abby Oliver, Dakota Medland
Not Shown: Alan Moretton, Amelia Lindsay
The RAISE Fund was established in 2006 to help University Residences offer free tuition on behalf of its nearly 300 resident assistants annually. UR alumni have founded endowed several resident assistantships for specific halls as part of the RAISE Fund, recognizing outstanding RAs for their contributions to their residential communities. Below are the winners of the 2016 RAISE scholarships:
George Golden Resident Assistantship
Christian Bencid, Cary Quad
Drew Soltis Resident Assistantship
Max Leeds, Cary Quad
James Burwell Memorial Resident Assistantship
Dakota Medland, Cary Quad
Terry Yake Resident Assistantship
Nathan Scott, Cary Quad
Edward G. Siebert Resident Assistantship
Shane Stiner, Cary Quad
William I. Bennett Resident Assistantship
Abby Oliver, First Street Towers
John Sautter Resident Assistantship
Alan Moretton, Harrison
Patrick McLaughlin Resident Assistantship
Jake Alden, Hilltop Apartments
Sarah Puls Resident Assistantship
Amelia Lindsay, Shreve
Tarkington Golden Anniversary Resident Assistantship
Kurtis Sluss, Tarkington
William and Barbara Rakosnik Resident Assistantship
Alex Marcellus, Third Street Suites
Donald and Lois Heirman Resident Assistantship
Alyssa Chandler, Wiley
Wiley Golden Anniversary Resident Assistantship
Neil Kippenbrock, Wiley
Denton Sederquist Resident Assistantship
Andrew Wakefield, Wiley
Elizabeth Berry Schatzlein Resident Assistantship
Natalie Lamport, Windsor Halls
Elisabeth Ford Siebert Resident Assistantship
Brittany Vanek, Windsor Halls
Join us in congratulating these student leaders and thanking them for carrying on the legacies of those who came before them in University Residences. For more about the RAISE Fund, visit https://www.housing.purdue.edu/Giving/GivingOpportunities.html.
Writer: Matt Watson
Writer: Matt Vader | Editors: Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic, Danielle Fawbush
Editorial Board: John Eckman, Barb Frazee, Tammy Loew, Renee Kashawlic | Inquiries Contact: studentlifemarketing@purdue.edu