Coville studies, attacks life to find what’s possible

During a recent Chapman Scholars trip to Arizona, the six Purdue University Fort Wayne students came across a beautiful mountain stream. Senior Emma Coville was thirsty, so she kneeled down and scooped some water to drink. She then challenged the others to do the same before running back to the car to grab a bottle to fill.

Someone mentioned the bird flu potential, but Coville wasn’t scared, saying that running water is safer to drink than stagnant water. The story exemplifies how Coville attacks life. She studies almost everything she comes across and then figures out ways to see if something that interests her can be used to help others.

She started flying at age 13, recently earning a private pilot license, and organizes the local Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual chili fundraiser for scholarships—including cooking 24 pounds of beef and helping chop 60 onions. She also keeps bees, once loading 5,000 into her Honda Civic to transport back from a farm.

Give her a list of ideas to see if she’s tried them, and Coville will likely say “No” but with a reminder that she’s not done yet.

“I’m just madly in love with this thing that is life,” Coville said. “I just feel that God has blessed me abundantly with everything, and much has been given to me. I have the resources—whether it’s my time, my energy, or my ideas—to give to others, so I almost feel unethical if I don’t do that. Not that it’s an obligation or a burden, but it’s who I am fundamentally.”

While attending PFW as a business administration and management major who’s also minoring in music, Coville is helping reinstitute the environmental club, sings in the Choral Union, and recently raised $900 to establish a compost project at Student Housing on the Waterfield Campus, with students in 37 rooms signing up to participate. Part of the pilot project included a small collection structure she built this semester to turn the results into soil anyone can use.

“She is real gung-ho, really excited and motivated, which is really interesting,” said Samantha Theisen, campus sustainability coordinator. “Those are the type of people we look to find to get anything done, the ones who are engaged. It’s cool to talk to her about life or this program. She’s very contemplative, and I think that helps her get things done as well.”

It’s part of being a leader, though Coville says that’s not something she pushes. She does things and people seem to follow.

“She’s that kind of person who helps bring them all together,” said Michele Shawver, the Chapman Scholars Program director. “She’s the one who reaches out and helps connect the cohorts. It doesn’t matter if it’s a freshman or whomever, she’s helping to bring them into the fold.”

Shawver said the composting is another example of Coville using PFW as a platform to start something that will help the overall community.

Coville recently started full-time as a marketing specialist at Sarkes Tarzian, the Indiana-based television and radio company, where she works with local businesses to increase sales through broadcast and digital advertising. She wanted to find a job that matched her personality and studied the possibilities before applying.

“One of the reasons I love working with her is because neither of us has an unexpressed thought,” said Elva Resendez, clinical assistant professor of marketing. “We view our mission in life as the same, to help others, to develop others, and be there for other people.”

Eventually, Coville would like to become a commercial pilot, possibly using her business degree to start her own company. Her dream is to own a twin-engine Piper Seneca, a six-seat plane she can use to fly around to visit national parks with her future family.

“This business degree is not to climb the corporate ladder with,” Coville said. “That’s not my goal and never has been. It’s about learning to relate to people in a professional setting. That can take you anywhere and teaches you to elevate yourself to a certain standard.

“I’m fulfilled when I’m with people, and that’s what life is to me. I’m perfectly fine that I can’t say where I’ll be in five or 10 years from now. I know I’ll be happy doing something.”