Claire Hogan

MAJORS: MASS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING

Hi! My name is Claire Hogan, and I am from Crystal Lake, Illinois. I am currently a sophomore double majoring in Mass Media Communications & Marketing with hopes of going into Social Media Analytics.

When it came to deciding a college, I had a very tough time. During my high school days, I was a professional ballet dancer. Training day in and day out with dreams of hoping to make a career out of it. My senior year of high school was quite unique. Along with applying for schools, I was also auditioning within those schools as part of my application process, as well as professional companies too. When it came down to decisions, I had gotten a job with a ballet company that I had a dreamed of working with, but sadly, I graduated the year of 2020 & had lost my job after I could accept any other school offers. So, that next year was a fresh start for me. When it came to finding a new dream, that is where Purdue comes into the picture.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I found that I really loved social media. Not just the creativity of it all, but the ability to network and promote whatever it may be, was so interesting to me. When it came to a field of study, there isn’t a 123 major when it comes to the social media field, being that it is so new. That is exactly what drew me into Purdue. While I am an out of state student, my mom was a Purdue Alumni, so it had always been a back burner of an idea. My mom had always talked fondly of her time at Purdue, and I just had to see what she got to experience. On my first visit, stepping onto this large campus seemed a bit daunting, but as soon as I toured with the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), I knew it was going to be my home for the next four years.

Purdue has a Degree+ program where it is made easy for students to double major and expand their field of study and when it came to majors, I didn’t want to be tied down to one field, which is why falling for Purdue’s expansive program was so easy. Not to mention the personable classroom environment. I had always wanted to go to a larger school but was afraid I would not get the same experience and relations in such a large classroom setting. Though in the College of Liberal Arts, that was far from that reality. With small class sizes, I have not only made great connections with my professors, but also my peers which has led me to this great opportunity as a Deans Ambassador. As someone who is creative and aspires to help others with my strengths and talents, Purdue was a perfect fit for me. As a student with the College of Liberal Arts, I can not only on inspiring others through my work, but it also gives me versatile options for jobs and opportunities after college. Under the amazing faculty and peers of CLA, the possibilities are endless in manners of experience as well as the chance to put your abilities to the test with guidance that will help you in the future.