How did you know Purdue was the right school for you? Was it the academic programs? The professors? The sports? For Kristen Morris, she knew when a stranger offered his umbrella on a rainy day.
Morris, a 1986 Lamb School graduate in Communication and Public Affairs, is our next advisory board spotlight. Keep reading to hear her top pieces of advice and more!
What is your favorite Purdue memory?
The first favorite memory occurred during my campus site visit. I was still a Junior at Ridgefield High School and it was a dreary, rainy, West Lafayette, March day. My parents had gone to check out Acacia House where my dad lived while he was a student 18 years earlier. I was crossing State Street in front of the Union. I looked like a recently used mop. My hair hung in dingy wet strings and I carefully wiped the mascara streaks I’m certain were smearing my cheeks. Now realize I was a classic nerd. I had gone through three years of high school with no boyfriend and had built a solid stash of insecurity. Picture me counting seconds waiting for the light at the corner of State and Grant to mercifully change so I could get my stupid Boilermaker Pete shirt and go home and begin looking for a college near a beach or with a view of the mountains. And up walks this guy. He’s got great hair, is tall, has an umbrella and manners! He actually asked if he could walk me to where I was going so I could stay dry. Are you kidding me?!?! I was pathetic. Why would he help a goober like me? I’m not making this up – I knew that second that Purdue was for me. A place where learning and kindness came in the same package. I have no idea who that guy was, but I’m confident he has a loving family and I imagine him being a person of significance. I would love to tell him that his gesture may have been the single most influential moment of my life. So, Mr. Nice Cute Guy, if you’re reading this, thank you and I owe you a beer.
What is your top piece of advice for current Lamb School students?
Soak up everything the Lamb School offers. The curriculum is important, but the network you build and the life experiences you gain are what will be what differentiates you from others.
What impact are you making as a member of the advisory board?
I get a lot more out of being a member of the board than what the board gets out of me. Of all the boards on which I serve, being a Lamb Advisor is my favorite. As with all things, good leadership starts at the top. Professor Mattson is an absolutely outstanding leader. In her world, students – not power, title or tenure – comes first. Which is why Brian Lamb is proud to have his name on the school she heads. I hope to do my part to help evolve the way the Advisory Board engages and advances the Lamb School’s mission of “building bridges to the media industry.”
Could you talk a little about your current role and how you got there?
In 1982, my plan was to study Industrial Engineering. After my Junior year at Purdue, I took advantage of doing an internship in Washington, DC. The whole experience was tectonic. Too many stories to share here, but it made a tremendous impression on me. I came back with the intent on learning how to write and do what I could to build a career in government. Fast forward, I’ve served as a government relations officer for large, highly regulated enterprises. I actually get paid to be an advocate and drive public policy — something I would gladly do for free if it wasn’t already my job. I got here through luck, tenacity and a good heart. A wise friend of mine often says “Do the right things for the right reasons and good things will come.”
What has been the most rewarding moment of your career thus far?
I passionately believe in democracy and take seriously our role as citizens to educate and inform those who we higher (vote for) to govern. As a result, my job is rewarding. I’ve advanced dozens of policies through enactment and influenced multiples of that. The result of this work has improved the wellbeing of hundreds and maybe even hundreds of thousands of people. But I think it’s when I’ve earned the trust and confidence of a leader, patient, or colleague that I find most satisfying. I love being able to say, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Getting a new technology through the approval and coverage process gives a patient hope. Being part of a world-wide movement to help people live healthier is equally motivating.