For many students enrolled in Purdue University’s Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program, balancing semesters of full-time work with academic schedules can be rewarding and independent. The Professional Practice Ambassadors (PPA) organization connects co-op students and fosters a sense of community on campus. 

 

Professional Practice Ambassadors (PPA) is a student organization made up of co-op students dedicated to enhancing awareness of and enriching the experience within Purdue’s Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program. Some of the events and programs throughout the year include Co-op Networking Nights, ENGR 103 Mentorship Program, and many social activities. At the core, PPA is about volunteering and spreading the students’ individual co-op experience.  

The goal of this organization has made an impact on students like Marek Gibson, a senior in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. 

 

“I always tell people that Purdue is like a second home for me and, if that’s true, that the Office of Professional Practice and the Professional Practice Ambassadors are my family here,” Gibson said. “They provided the support that allowed me to flourish both socially and professionally during my time at Purdue.” 

 

That sense of family is reflected by PPA members Emily Barone and Ali Steele. Barone, now completing the Professional Master’s portion of her BS/MS Biomedical Engineering program, and Steele, who will soon graduate with her BS in the same field, first met during a biomechanics course in their sophomore year, just before starting their co-op rotations. Barone completed a three-term co-op with Catalent Biologics and later interned at Eli Lilly and Company. Steele worked with DePuy Synthes, a Johnson & Johnson company, and later interned abroad with Fort Wayne Metals in Ireland apart of the GEARE program. Both currently serve as teaching assistants for the Office of Professional Practice and now hold leadership roles within PPA in West Lafayette, Barone as president, and Steele as Volunteering Director. 

 

Their friendship, developed in the classroom, grew stronger after returning to campus post-co-op. 

“We started attending meetings and social events together, and between that and our coursework, our friendship naturally grew from there,” they shared. “Coming back from co-op meant joining a new class year and meeting an entirely new group of classmates. It could’ve been overwhelming – but having each other made all the difference.” 

 

Barone and Steele say the regularly scheduled all-member meetings (ANMs) became a supportive presence during busy semesters. 

 

“Even when coursework got hectic, we always made time to attend the ANMs together. It became a space where we could unwind, laugh, and catch up with each other and other friends,” they said. 

 

Now serving on the PPA executive board together, they’ve worked to ensure that same sense of connection extends to new members. 

 

“One of the most special things about PPA is how it brings together students from all backgrounds who are on a less traditional path through Purdue,” they wrote. “When you’re rotating between school and co-op, it’s easy to feel out of sync – but PPA creates a sense of belonging.” 

 

While PPA helps students navigate the routine of alternating between campus and co-op assignments, GEARE Ambassadors offers the same sense of community on a global scale. 

Combining study abroad, international internships, and intercultural training, GEARE stands as Purdue’s premier work-abroad and study-abroad program. It equips students in engineering, computer science, and data science with the global competencies needed to lead in international environments. 

 

The program follows a structured four-year timeline, integrating foreign language studies, domestic and international internships, study abroad semesters, and global design projects. Students begin with a domestic internship in their second year, followed by an international internship and study abroad in their third year. GEARE culminates with poster presentations showcasing students’ global work and experiences. 

 

“The GEARE Program was one of the most defining experiences of my undergraduate education at Purdue and has had a profound impact on my life, both personally and professionally,” said Riley Barta, Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering. “The comprehensive nature of the program, encompassing language and cultural preparation, domestic and international work experiences, a semester at an overseas institution, and both domestic and international team projects, is unmatched anywhere in the US." 

 

Barta, a former GEARE participant, credited the program’s integration within Purdue’s mechanical engineering curriculum for enabling him to complete a Global Engineering Studies Minor, a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and multiple undergraduate research experiences within four years. 

 

"This level of planning, integration and thoughtfulness is vital to attract strong students and is one of countless examples of why the GEARE program is one of a kind," Barta said. 

 

International experiences during GEARE led Barta to internships in Poland and studies at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, creating a passion for immersion in other cultures. That passion extended into his Ph.D. work with summer programs in Germany and China, and later a postdoctoral position at TU Dresden. 

 

"My subsequent return to Purdue University in Fall 2023 as an Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering would not have been possible without these international experiences, all of which started with the Purdue GEARE program," he said. 

 

Inspired by the impact of GEARE on his own career, Barta now serves as a faculty advisor for the GEARE Ambassadors. 

 

“The work this group of students does, together with Purdue’s Global Professional Practice team, in engaging engineering students at a student-to-student level is a vital aspect of the GEARE ecosystem at Purdue, and it’s great to have a chance to work with them to continue to broaden the impact of the GEARE program,” Barta said. 

 

Among the students leading GEARE’s peer support efforts is Sandra Bern, a Senior in mechanical engineering. Bern has been involved with the GEARE Ambassadors since her freshman year, steadily growing through leadership roles from ambassador to director, and most recently, president of the organization during the past academic year. 

Bern emphasized the personal and professional growth she has experienced through the program. 

 

"My favorite thing about being president is that I get to connect with the younger students who are preparing to go abroad and see how excited they are to experience the world just like I was," she said. "I truly believe that I wouldn’t be the person and leader I am today without the GEARE program and the GEARE Ambassadors." 

 

The GEARE Ambassadors organization includes 12 executive positions and at least 40 members each semester. Leadership roles within the organization rotate every semester to accommodate students’ study abroad schedules. 

 

“Our members come from a multitude of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, which enables them to learn the nuances of working and leading diverse teams,” Bern said. “This year the GEARE program has accepted the largest freshman class in its history. With that we expect the GEARE Ambassadors to grow along with the program and are excited to support the incoming students.” 

 

As OPP programs continue to grow on both West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses, organizations like PPA and GEARE Ambassadors remain important, offering mentorship, leadership, cultural immersion, and a welcoming community for students navigating an unconventional academic path. 

 

 

Story by: Margaret Mowrer