Emily Thomas: Fifth-Year Chemical Engineering Student

Emily Thomas is a fifth-year Chemical Engineering student at Purdue University. She chose Purdue because it was the first school that introduced her to what engineering is. When choosing a university, she says “it was important to me that I was challenged and that it had a plethora of opportunity and resources.” And she found that Purdue could offer her both. As she is in the middle of her last semester at Purdue, Emily says “my college career has been very fulfilling.” She has had the opportunity to participate in internships, co-ops, organizations on campus, and study abroad.

After graduation, Emily will be beginning a job at Emerson. She has been hired into the Engineers in Leadership Program which is a 2-year program that will allow her to work in various roles throughout the company in order to gain experience in several positions. This program also gives Emily the opportunity to work abroad in Singapore for a year which she says “is an opportunity I am looking forward to!”

Why engineering? Emily says “one of the best explanations I’ve heard about the difference between a scientist and an engineer is that a scientist asks why and an engineer asks why not.” She chose Chemical Engineering because “I realize that I have always asked why not when viewing and experiencing the world. My overall career goal is to be a conduit to help others and help people reach and realize their full potential. I plan on using my problem solving and analytical skills that I learned from engineering to change the world and to continue to ask why not.”