Rising seniors selected for Mortar Board Class of 2022
Two AAE students were tapped and joined the 2022 Class of the Barbara Cook Chapter of Mortar Board at Purdue University.
Rising seniors Patryk Baranski and Kaustubh Ray were selected for exemplifying Mortar Board’s pillars of scholarship, leadership and service. Mortar Board, a senior honor society, has given more than $1 million in fellowships and awards to Purdue students, staff and student organizations since its charter began in 1926.
Baranski, scheduled to graduate in May 2022, is involved with Purdue Engineering Student Council and Purdue Space Program. Previously, he was involved in Purdue Student Government, Rising Professionals and Boilermaker Consulting Group.
“Being selected is an honor and a reaffirmation that the work I do here at Purdue is positively impacting students and campus,” he said. “Joining this family of student leaders reminds me of how selfless and outgoing my peers are in all that they do, and they continue to motivate me to put forth my best effort in the groups and organizations I'm a part of.”
Ray currently serves as the president for the Interfraternity Council at Purdue, which governs 42 fraternities and more than 3,500 members. He represents and influences all Greek Life at Purdue, which he said consists of about 20 percent of the undergraduate population on campus. Ray also has been involved with Theta Tau, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Student Advisory Council, Order of Omega, Purdue Space Day and as a student ambassador for The Economist.
“For me, this honor is recognition for the all the extra time and effort put in outside of the classroom to improve Purdue. But more than that, I think it’s really a reflection of the organizations, faculty, friends, alumni and family who have empowered me into the person I am today,” said Ray, who has a summer internship lined up with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to work on its entry, descent, landing guidance and navigation team. “I would really like to thank them for supporting me throughout my journey at Purdue. Being selected for this is special to me because it makes me feel lucky to have them in my life.”
One charge of the Mortar Board Class of 2022 is to create innovative programming for the benefit of the University and its students throughout the next year, the release said.
Ray said he intends to improve engagement between students in an innovative manner as the campus transitions through and out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Baranski said he’s eager to participate in initiatives that give back to Purdue and the surrounding community, whether it be charity drives, children’s reading events, scholarships for students and faculty and an annual leadership conference.