Senior Highlight: Emma Schafer in the Multidisciplinary Engineering Degree Program
| Author: | Teresa Walker |
|---|---|
| Event Date: | May 1, 2020 |
"Over my four years here at Purdue, I had to learn to be flexible (both physically and mentally) in order to succeed." Emma Schafer, '20 MDE General Engineering
Q&A with Emma
Let's start with Purdue Engineering. Why did you choose Multidisciplinary Engineering?
I started in Multidisciplinary Engineering (MDE) my sophomore year after completing First-Year Engineering. At the time, I was still uncertain about what I wanted to after college, and MDE really allowed me to explore my interests in the different classes I got to take.
We know of your love of twirling the baton. Give us the backstory on how your journey led you to twirl with Purdue's All-American Marching Band! I have been twirling baton since the age of five when I joined a local team after they sent home a flyer from school. My mom likes to tell the story that she wanted me to do poms, but I refused and said “I want to do that!” talking about baton. I twirled competitively ever since then, both as an individual and as part of a team. I also twirled with the marching band of my alma mater, Tinora High School in Defiance, Ohio. My senior year of high school, I auditioned at Purdue and accepted a position on the All-American Twirling Team with the AAMB.
Your schedule must have been hectic. How did you balance twirling, MDE, and other activities during your time at Purdue?
Over my four years here at Purdue, I had to learn to be flexible (both physically and mentally) in order to succeed. This meant finding a way to balance my classes and schoolwork with band rehearsals, performances and other clubs and activities. I became very familiar with my planner, as well as learning to always look ahead in terms of deadlines and midterms, to be sure that I would be prepared to meet these goals. Although I had a few hardships along the way, I will never regret having to establish this balance. The things I have learned, people I have met, and opportunities I have had here at Purdue University are something I will never forget!
More fun photos to share!
Photo credit: Milbrath Photography
