Maddy Solis

2022 Graduate

Major: Interior Design

Hi! My name is Maddy Solis and I am graduating with a major in Interior Design! I am from right here in Lafayette (born and raised a Boilermaker).

Other than being a part of the College of Liberal Arts Dean's Ambassador program, I am also a member of the Interior Design Club! I chose interior design for multiple reasons. One is because of an interior design class I took my sophomore year of high school. It was only a small introduction, but I fell in love with the idea of design and being able to be creative in what I do. The other is because my stepdad owns a local residential construction business where I have been able to help with small design details, and I actually played a big part in redesigning our kitchen at home!

I wanted a major where I could be hands-on and use my creative side. Interior design gives me that. Interior design isn’t just about what color goes on the wall, what furniture looks stunning in a space, or what kind of flooring works best. It is all those factors, plus knowing how toxic certain products are, that wheelchair-accessible doorways are 36 inches wide, and if a material is recyclable. It sounds silly, but those things are what I live for and it is my passion.

With a major being so hands-on, that means smaller class sizes and more one-on-one time with your professor. So many liberal arts majors and minors give you that opportunity. It is so important to me to be able to have a connection with my professors and my classmates, its like we’re one big happy family! Not only do I have close relationships with the people in my major, but also people in the CLA community.

Purdue has given me so many opportunities academically and socially. The summer before my freshman year, I was in Purdue’s Summer Start program where I met some of my best friends, got a head start on my credits, and learned the ropes of college before all the students came back for the fall semester. A lot of my close friends from high school also came to Purdue, and experiencing college with them is one of the best things.

I love Purdue for many reasons, but one of my top reasons is being so close to home. I am a total family person, and attending a college close to home, I am able to go see them whenever I want. Although I am so close to home, Purdue feels like a whole other world, and I am still able to escape when I need to.

Some advice I have for you is to just follow your heart. College is a big step in your life, and it is important that you do what you love because this is the rest of your life. There are so many people here to help you in whatever you need, and I encourage you to reach out and go outside your bubble. You won’t regret it. Boiler Up!