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
Beth Bostwick, Advisor of Women Startup Lab and the Co-Founder/CEO of SafeTeller and Ready Touch was on campus to provide learning opportunities for students as part of the Executive-in-Residence program earlier this month.
Students met with Bostwick in one-on-one consulting sessions, known as Coffee and Consulting. The advising sessions allowed students to seek professional feedback specific to their own careers. Group events allowed students networking opportunities in the Cornerstone, Mosaic Mile and Champion Heights’ neighborhoods. Bostwick’s experience in women’s entrepreneurship and leadership was also highlighted with a speech at a University Residences Women’s Leadership Series event.
“Beth was a really engaging guest and both our students and professional staff enjoyed hearing her journey from Purdue to where she is now,” said Randi Purvis, assistant to the executive director of University Residences.
Bostwick leveraged Fortune 100 company experience acquired early in her career from GE, Citibank, Monsanto and Genetech to her startup experience in Silicon Valley. She currently advises several women founders of technology businesses and is at the forefront of efforts to enable women to be successful in the startup world.
Bostwick’s residence is the first of three executives scheduled to serve in-residence as part of the Executive-in-Residence program. For more information on upcoming EiR events, visit: http://housing.purdue.edu/aboutus/EiR/index.html.
The Executive-in-Residence program exists to provide opportunities for students to make connections with successful Purdue alumni. While executives are serving “in residence,” students engage with them through both formal presentations and informal interactions. Executives live among the students, immersing themselves in the student experience.
Writer: Matt Vader
Residence Education Assistants Sidney Harris and Alan Moretton first met as a result of a simple misunderstanding of an acronym.
The Indiana Residence Hall Organization Conference (IRHOC) was approaching and Harris answered a call for help with the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) delegation after the communications coordinator had vacated the position. Harris’ interest in IRHOC (pronounced “i-rock”) was initially based on her misinterpretation of the acronym.
“I heard ‘Iraq,’” Harris says with a laugh. “I knew we probably weren’t going there, but I convinced myself that there was a city in Indiana called Iraq and I thought it would be interesting to go somewhere new.”
Taking the initiative to join Purdue’s delegation to the conference put Harris in contact with Moretton, then the communications coordinator of the Residence Hall Association. The duo worked closely together in training the rest of the Purdue representatives to the conference. Each also applied to be a resident assistant during this time.
After keeping in contact over the summer, the two reconnected at resident assistant training in the fall and began dating. They have maintained their relationship since then, navigating two years as resident assistants and another year as residence education assistants.
“It was one of those situations where you don’t see someone for the whole summer, then come back and realize how much you missed each other,” says Harris.
Discovering a mutual desire to try new things has opened up numerous opportunities to experience what Purdue has to offer. Among their favorite activities to participate in is the Demonstration Kitchen events held by Purdue Recreation & Wellness. They recently attended the Romantic Recipes for Two demonstration for Valentine’s Day. The Music Gaming Club has also been a source of entertainment with opportunities to play Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.
After never having access to a rock wall before, Harris learned to rock climb at the CoRec, which has become a hobby she and Moretton share together. In turn, Moretton shared his hobby of competing in triathlons with Harris, helping her train as they completed a triathlon together. The two can often be seen cycling around campus when the weather is warm and are always looking for something new to try.
“It’s about how we want to educate ourselves,” Moretton says. “There are no lesson plans for life. There are no learning outcomes for life. You have to make those up.”
Incorporating their resident assistant and education assistant duties into their relationship has allowed Harris and Moretton to support each other’s residential programming. A recent event afforded students from Meredith and Harrison Hall the opportunity to assemble fleece-tie blankets for donation to a local hospital.
“We are educators. That’s what Res Life is about,” says Moretton. “By supporting someone in another residence hall, you’re supporting their passions and ultimately, the education of the residents.”
Harris, currently the residence education assistant in Meredith Hall, has been involved in Residential Life since her freshman year when she joined the executive board of McCutcheon Hall. She has been active in NRHH, Purdue Outing Club and Purdue Night Train Swing Dance Club. Harris says dancing has provided fun opportunities, ranging from a weekend-long workshop known as Whistle Stop to attending an Engineering Gala with Moretton, which featured ballroom dancing lessons.
Moretton’s positivity and passion for inclusion has allowed him to thrive in working with first-year residents in Harrison Hall, where he has lived and worked the last three years. He was involved in bidding, planning and hosting of the successful National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) 2017 Conference at Purdue.
After graduating this spring, Harris and Moretton plan to take a road trip through the western United States. Part of the trip will involve apartment hunting for Harris, who has accepted a job in a supply-chain role at 3M in Forest City, Iowa. The company produces more than 55,000 products, ranging from household adhesives to healthcare products.
Moretton will work in Chicago for Burns and McDonnell, a consulting firm. He is particularly excited after a lengthy interview process produced what he says is a strong fit. His initial plans involve commuting by bus from his hometown, Valparaiso, to enable him to spend more time with family.
The couple plans to maintain their relationship after graduating.
Writer: Matt Vader
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