In less than a month, more than 800 Purdue University Fort Wayne students will celebrate their graduation with nearly 9,000 friends and family at the Memorial Coliseum. PFW’s 2024 Commencement on May 8 will be filled with joy, friendship, and a sense of satisfaction that comes from this kind of life-changing achievement.

For these soon-to-be PFW alumni, it required sacrifice, perseverance, and hard work to earn the degrees that will help them launch careers across the region, the country, and even the world.

Here are a few of their stories:

Sidney Basham

A mechanical engineering major, Basham has already started working for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions on application aerospace engineering projects. The Columbia City native chose PFW because she grew up wanting to work for NASA.

“I wanted to take a well-rounded understanding approach to the world of engineering,” Basham said. “I have an aptitude for science and math, which made engineering a logical choice. But specifically, mechanical engineering has allowed me to get my hands on things, and visualize a broader picture of how I want to use my education.”

While attending PFW, Basham served as a co-lead for the College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science’s mentoring program and helped form a branch of Phi Sigma Rho, the sorority for engineering and engineering technology.

“PFW allowed me to feel comfortable and confident in my position to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering through the support system and dedication to success that I have experienced at this campus,” Basham said. “Throughout my time here, I have learned how to learn, but I have also learned how to ask questions and make meaningful connections. I believe I have been prepared with the mindset to be not only a smart and logical engineer, but an empathetic and outgoing one.”

JaNia Guy

A native of Davenport, Iowa, Guy has become one of the shining stars of the Department of Human Services in the School of Education. She’s working for Meridian Health Services, helping children and adults build social and life skills while also improving their mental health.

While at PFW, Guy spent significant time interning and volunteering at Erin’s House for Grieving Children and GiGi’s Playhouse, working with people living with Down syndrome, calling the two local nonprofits her happy places.

“Those places are the reason I love what I do,” Guy said. “Volunteering helped me build my skills to help other individuals, but in a way, they helped me more than they will ever know.”

At PFW, Guy served as a student success coach, helping incoming students, and serving as a Human Service Organization officer.

“I chose PFW for the class sizes and it felt like family,” Guy said, “and I chose human services as a major because I have a passion for helping people, and the professors are some the best people I know. PFW helped prepare me for my future by giving me two years of field experience and helping me know exactly what I want to do.”

Josh Handshoe

When Handshoe came to PFW, he thought his path included another major, but he flipped to biology with a concentration in genetics and molecular biology and found his passion. After working for a year to gain first-hand industry experience, he’ll advance to graduate school and then work in industrial agriculture.

“With the help of my incredible instructors, I was able to fine-tune my direction,” Handshoe said.

As a Mastodon, the Fort Wayne native served as president of the Biology Club that involved taking study trips across the Midwest, participated in campus-wide events, and volunteered at the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary.

“PFW has made me who I am today,” Handshoe said. “The school has provided me with all the tools and the network necessary to take the next steps into industry or higher education with the confidence to know I will be successful.

“One of the lessons I received at PFW that stands out was from an ethics class in which we learned `how to live well and lead a good life.’ This embodies the spirit of PFW, a community of individuals striving to be greater, to live well in our own lives, and to enrich the lives of those around us.”

Parker Tysinger

When Tysinger arrived at PFW, she purposely left her major undeclared because she wanted to explore possibilities. The Urbana native will graduate with a degree in history, but she’s also got a handful of minors and a fistful of certificates she’s earned.

“I do things to 100% completion in the best possible way I can do it,” Tysinger said. “I focus on my passions and see where that takes me.”

Those passions have led Tysinger to jobs working at the Catholic Diocesan Museum in downtown Fort Wayne, handling social media and other duties for PFW’s Honors Program, and as a research assistant with the Department of History. Hearing what other students research often sparks her own ideas.

Most of those revolve around history, as Tysinger loves to help introduce it to others, saying history has a huge impact on our world, and we need more people to study it.

“PFW has helped me gain several connections with professors and fellow students,” Tysinger said. “My professors have been huge supports, and I feel like they have made me more confident in my work so I am prepared for the future.”

That future includes a fall trip to Italy before beginning work on a master’s degree.

Sydney Coyne

As a Chapman Scholar, cornerstone of the Student Activities Board, leader of the student success coaches who mentor incoming students, and pep band member, Coyne has played a large role across campus. The Payne, Ohio, native chose PFW because of its class size and location, and majored in anthropology and history. She plans to build a career in museum education.

The busier and more involved Coyne got, the more she found her grades rising. In addition to being one of the most familiar faces on campus, she helps others in multiple ways.

“A lot of people don’t understand how important it is to get involved and find a support system,” Coyle said. “I didn’t realize how important it is until after the fact because I was very introverted in high school. Then I got involved, and I realized how much a better leader it made me.”

Coyne is a two-time Top 50 designee.

“PFW encouraged me to grow and learn, both inside and outside of the classroom,” Coyne said. “I was given leadership opportunities in admissions and Student Life that allowed me to develop interpersonal and leadership skills, and my history and anthropology faculty linked me to internships and possibilities to present my research projects. PFW gave me the tools that I will need to be successful in graduate school and beyond.”

Hailey Moreno

A native of Delphos, Ohio, Moreno is set to graduate with a sociology degree she is using as a resident advocate at The Rescue Mission. She hopes to become a case manager, helping homeless people find shelter, food, and hope for the future.

Unlike many traditional students, Moreno is married and has two daughters. In addition to juggling family life while working toward a degree, she considers one of her biggest accomplishments to be writing a research paper on low socioeconomic teenage pregnancies.

“I enjoyed this so much, and as one of my last credit classes, it was awesome to write about something I have so much passion for,” Moreno said. “While growing up, I never saw much of anything outside of the lower poverty level, and the town didn’t have many resources. [As a daughter of] a single mom of four children, I wanted to explore sociological structures in our society more, research different income levels, different demographics, and truly explore outside the small-town mindset.”

Moreno chose PFW because of its proximity and population size. When she toured the university, she fell in love with the campus and staff.

“PFW helped me set up my future by not only giving me my degree but providing the support throughout my years,” Moreno said. “I was always shown positivity and gratitude for doing everything I did. PFW showed me I can do anything.”

Sean Tierney

As a triplet from Barrington, Illinois, Tierney sought a university that offered the best price for a high-quality computer science degree. He views work in his chosen field as being similar to solving puzzles, with each increment providing a more complete project.

“Seeing the final functioning result of the multiple smaller pieces working together is satisfying,” Tierney said.

After a visit to family in Ireland this summer, Tierney will work for Discover Financial Services, completing multiple application tasks via its business technology development program.

During the fall semester, Tierney helped a group of students studying computer science achieve national recognition. His PFW team finished 36th out of 1,062 that participated in a major three-day competition, and Tierney placed 240th out of 9,770 individuals who registered for the season.

“PFW set me up for the future by providing me with ample opportunities to develop my computer science expertise, especially my senior capstone project,” Tierney said. “These two semesters I have been able to develop a cloud-native web portal using the in-demand technologies that I wanted to learn.”

Sai Aneesha Maruboyina

When Maruboyina came to PFW two years ago, she finally found a home after moving frequently in her native India. Because computer science fascinated her, especially with the continuous emergence of innovative technical tools, she always focused on earning a Purdue degree.

“The decision to seize this chance was clear and immediate,” Maruboyina said. “It was an opportunity too valuable to pass up; a new chapter I was eager to begin.”

While at PFW, she also became an international student orientation leader, worked in the TRIO Upward Bound office, and became the only international student to join the Dancin’ Dons.

“PFW crafted a tranquil, stress-free environment that was ideal for my growth,” Maruboyina said. “It also challenged me with diverse projects that tested and honed my capabilities. I was fortunate to form bonds with genuine friends who’ve stood by me in every situation and for whom I have and would do the same.

“More than that, the faculty’s support was exceptional. My personal experiences with their understanding and assistance went beyond my expectations. Especially for those of us far from home, this kind of support was not just helpful, but deeply encouraging and a guiding light in our academic and personal lives.”

Katherine Marx

In her extensive pursuit of knowledge about the flute, Marx will eventually travel from ocean to ocean. Starting out in her home state of Idaho, she spent time in California before arriving in Indiana. After graduation, her next stop will be New York where she’ll attend the prestigious Eastman School of Music. A double major in flute and vocal performance, she came to PFW to work with Luke Fitzpatrick in the School of Music.

“The decision to transfer to PFW partway through my degree allowed me so many more performance opportunities,” Marx said. “I grew immensely as a musician in this environment, and studying with Professor Fitzpatrick set me up perfectly for my next step of studying at Eastman. I am very thankful for my time at PFW.”

Some of those experiences included singing with the choir at Carnegie Hall, playing on the wind ensemble tour of Europe last spring, landing four roles in operettas, and recently being named a member of the university’s Exemplar class of 2024.

Learn more about PFW’s commencement at pfw.edu/commencement.