Thankful 2020 PNW graduates power onward
More than 1,000 Purdue University Northwest (PNW) students have successfully completed the requirements of their undergraduate and graduate degrees as the fall 2020 semester drew to a close. Each of them — thankful for the diverse opportunities that PNW offers — achieved a goal driven by inspiration and passion.
While students’ backgrounds are uniquely different, many expressed similar reasons they attend classes at Purdue Northwest. These include smaller class sizes, handson learning, better professor-to-student ratios, and a quality education.
Nelly Mishell Chango, who is from Ecuador, earned a Master’s in Business Administration with focuses in management information systems and business analytics. She credits her success with immersing herself in the PNW culture, concentrating on her studies, making new friends, and staying in contact with loved ones back home.
Chango deepened her PNW connections by becoming a supplemental instructor, leading free study sessions organized by the university’s Student Academic Support department.
Her long-term career goals include starting her own business and completing a cybersecurity certification. Her advice is, “Don’t be afraid of new adventures. Take advantage of what PNW has to offer.”
Andrew Miloshoff, a Crown Point native, felt he was born to be an engineer, as he took an interest in finding out how things worked, always taking things apart and putting them back together.
“I want to understand and explain how and why things work, and engineering seemed like the logical choice,” he said.
His experiences at PNW, however, inspired his desire to become a professor.
While serving as chair of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers student organization, Miloshoff led his team to first-place wins for design and community outreach at the evGrand Prix competition. He helped boy scouts earn electronics merit badges and educated local high school students on engineering concepts and opportunities available at PNW through “STEM on the Road.”
Miloshoff has been working as an engineering intern with a local utility company since 2017 and spent a summer abroad in Chile.
He was introduced to his future career path when he was a teaching assistant for the Electronic Measurement Techniques class.
“My position as a teaching assistant introduced me to the concept of not just teaching content to students, but helping them understand concepts,” Miloshoff said. “It was satisfying to know they understood the material and how to apply it to the real world.”
Miloshoff earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering with minors in Spanish and computer engineering. He plans to start a master’s/Ph.D. program in linguistics in fall 2021.
Kylie Brown, who hails from Charlestown, Indiana, acquired skills in time management, teamwork and leadership as a student-athlete during her tenure at Purdue Northwest. She pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and credits her success at PNW to the development of these skills.
“Learning how to balance my coursework, practice and traveling time with the PNW Pride volleyball team was pivotal to not just my succeeding, but to my thriving at Purdue Northwest,” Brown said.
Brown decided upon a career in nursing after observing the impact nurses had on her grandfather’s quality of life. It was the well-respected reputation of PNW’s nursing program that caught her attention to pursue her goal.
For Brown, the nursing program lived up to its reputation. She said, “The professors genuinely care about the student’s success, and that’s what creates great nurses.”
Reflecting on her experience at PNW, Brown noted, “Time goes by so fast — work hard, make friends, put in the time and effort, but also take time to experience everything that the university has to offer. Enjoy every minute of it; it’s all worth it in the end.”