Without IUPUI, I do not know where I would be today. I moved to campus in May of 2015, a month before I was set to graduate from Broad Ripple Magnet High School.
The summer before I began my freshman year, I had the opportunity to do research under DSRP (Diverse Scholars Research Program). This profoundly impacted me because of my fluctuating homelessness.
From October 2013 until May of 2015, I was classified as a homeless unaccompanied youth by the state of Indiana. I took showers at school, my teachers would buy me food and clothes, and I learned to survive on my own. My school had a resource center where I spent a lot of my time following my classes. The resource center had IUPUI tutors that I bonded with, and they convinced me to pursue post-secondary education. They spoke to one of the deans in the School of Engineering and Technology, and I was encouraged to apply for one of their housing scholarships.
Without the kind and generous people from IUPUI, my future would have been uncertain and stressful.
Gillian Bundles, Class of 2020
I still remember the day I was called down and a few of my teachers and the tutors gathered to tell me I had been chosen to receive a four-year housing scholarship. I am also a 21st Century Scholar, so I effectively had a full ride scholarship. Without the kind and generous people from IUPUI, my future would have been uncertain and stressful.
The summer between high school and college was an amazing experience for me to get acquainted with the campus and decide if engineering was for me. I thank Dr. Andres Tovar for teaching me many things about collision and impact. At the end of the summer, I presented my research at the CRL (Center for Research and Learning) poster presentation and proved what I knew. This boosted my confidence and propelled my desire to pursue my undergraduate studies.
I am set to finish my degree in the spring of 2020 and since my freshman year, I have done two co-op rotations with Rolls-Royce. Without IUPUI, I would have none of this. I am forever grateful for all of these wonderful opportunities.
Story courtesy of:
Gillian Bundles
Class of 2020
