Haylie and Chelsie Rayl at the SWE Conference in Chicago in 2024

It’s not every day that a new Purdue student in Indianapolis knows a teaching assistant (TA) on a first-name basis before the first class.  

But Chelsie Rayl knew her TA long before they were in the same classroom. The Introduction to Professional Practice (ENGR 10301) TA was none other than her older sister, Haylie.  

The sisters, born and raised in Franklin outside Indianapolis, both study computer engineering at the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and are members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Purdue section in Indianapolis.  

“It was nice to have a ‘TA’ to turn to for advice off the clock,” Chelsie said. “She’s been through the same program and has dealt with the same kinds of academic stress. Haylie gets what I’m feeling.” 

For Haylie, a senior, computer engineering was something she was exposed to in Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 19600). She completed her first two years through Ivy Tech Community College and found that the breadth of computer engineering industrial opportunities, which included potential work in her dream field of aerospace, appealed to her.  

For Chelsie, Purdue’s computer engineering program in Indianapolis was “an educated guess” she wasn’t confident would stick. But having a sister also on the engineering path gave Chelsie a mentor to help her learn, grow and get excited about her major.

“As the year is coming to a close, I feel much more confident in my decision to come to Purdue for computer engineering in Indianapolis,” Chelsie said. “I’m excited to keep building on what I’ve learned in the classroom and apply it outside, too.” 

Haylie has thrived — and hopes that Chelsie does the same — with small class sizes and plenty of connections to dive into research and work in Indianapolis. She is gearing up to compete in The Spark Challenge, ECE’s end-of-the-year senior design competition in Indianapolis. Her team will present a traveling water quality testing kit for children to potential employers and companies in May 2025. It’s Haylie’s favorite project as an undergrad. 

But Haylie’s overall favorite part of getting a Purdue education in Indianapolis has been, and continues to be, the convenient location for professional and personal life.  

“Being in Indianapolis, I am able to live at home,” Haylie said. “I enjoy spending time with my family, and Chelsie is the only other engineer in my family. I’m not alone in tech anymore.” 

Chelsie has enjoyed the opportunity that being part of Purdue’s inaugural class in Indianapolis has afforded her, especially as a leader. She is part of an Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) team that is creating new playground equipment for Family Ark in Jeffersonville, Indiana. After facing communication struggles and numerous project direction shifts, Chelsie is proud of what the team accomplished in a few short months, especially since most of the group are first-year students.  

“I can have a significant impact in areas that I normally wouldn’t. I got to step into the role of project manager for my group in my first year, and I’m really proud of the $1,000 service learning grant I won for my team.” 

Chelsie and Haylie were sponsored by SWE to attend the annual conference in Chicago in fall 2024. Haylie, who has worked for the Office of Professional Practice since August, was able to show off her networking skills and equip Chelsie with them in real time. 

“She’s always been confident when it comes to networking,” Chelsie said, “and seeing that firsthand (in Chicago) really pushed me to challenge myself and approach companies with more confidence.” 

Haylie, who will be pursuing a master’s in electrical and computer engineering in the fall, has been surprised at the opportunities Indianapolis has presented in the past year. Major companies, like Intel Facilities, have begun to join more networking events in Indianapolis, and Haylie has been able to connect with the wide breadth of school experiences.  

“I have chosen to stay in Indianapolis because of the connections that I have made here. I hope Chelsie finds that too. I’m so proud of how much she’s grown in the last year at Purdue and I can’t wait to see what she does next.”