Women in Engineering Program draws first-year, BME student in Indianapolis Chelfannisa to leadership
After coming to Purdue University from Singapore for biomedical engineering, Aurelia Chelfannisa was drawn to the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program by its energy. She found that energy especially concentrated in Indianapolis.
After coming to Purdue University from Singapore for biomedical engineering (BME), Aurelia Chelfannisa was drawn to the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program by its energy. She found that energy especially concentrated in Indianapolis.
She was thrilled to be a part of WiE from her first day at Purdue. In fact, a monthly meeting was the very first event she attended after classes began. While she didn’t know what to expect from college or from the program, Chelfannisa found herself gaining passion for the community.
“I got to meet other girls in engineering, which I’d never met before,” Chelfannisa said. “I knew that I wanted to be involved in WiE then, because that was the community I was looking for.”
Chelfannisa spent the first semester acclimating to college life and BME classes. But once the spring 2025 semester began, she started volunteering for leadership positions. In one semester, she went from a participant in WiE monthly meetings to a member of the event planning board and the WE Link student leadership team. She strives to reach all audiences served by WiE programming — including high school students, current WiE members, potential members in college and Purdue WiE alumni — by creating engaging social media content and lively events.
“We have good speakers who teach practical and relevant skills for us,” Chelfannisa said, “like how to navigate a career path or how to find jobs that fit our passions. But I have also learned skills relevant to me as a woman in engineering, like how to stand up for myself and make my ideas heard.”
The WiE leadership team in Indianapolis, often called the LT, orchestrates networking, mentorship and social opportunities open to local Purdue students and students coming from West Lafayette. They also aid assistant director Beata Johnson in accomplishing her goals to grow and nurture the program.
"Aurelia has demonstrated an innovative spirit in stepping into a unique role in the WiE student leadership team, serving as a student liaison between WiE programming in West Lafayette and Indianapolis,” Johnson said. “I look forward to seeing her impact on this community through the coming years.”
The first goal to achieve was to establish the Mentees & Mentors (M&M) Program in Indianapolis, which would initially group new students with one or two mentors, sophomores through seniors, who could answer questions about major expectations, classes, Indianapolis at large and college life. Chelfannisa participated as a mentee in a group of BME students and was thankful for their tips: “I talked with one senior about research opportunities because she knew where to find the resources (in Indianapolis). She helped me connect with a professor and that is how I got my research position this semester. I really like the aspect of connecting with people, and that was part of why I joined the LT.”
The M&M LT is including the option for one-on-one mentoring in the fall in addition to the group setting. It’s another new opportunity that Chelfannisa can’t wait to take on, now that she has completed her first year at Purdue.
“WiE was where I found my community. Not just my friends but also my mentors who helped me navigate my social life and professional development. Building a community was important because that is what makes college so special. Being part of that the first batch of students, we get to start clubs based on what we’re interested in that overlaps with others.”
Chelfannisa is a familiar face in Indianapolis and on Purdue social media, especially for WiE, Boiler Ambassadors and Pi-Med — a student organization dedicated to providing medical education resources to all interested Purdue students in Indianapolis.
“I think the most important thing I’ve learned here is that college is really up to you,” Chelfannisa said. “If you are just in college for your classes, you will get that degree and that’s it. But to push yourself to step out of your comfort zone, to really try something new and learn about yourself is what college truly is. My first semester, I was just going to my classes. But in my second semester, I really pushed myself to try new things. So far, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’m really excited to see what else I can do.”