Maria Bernstein
Major: Industrial Design
Minor: Design & Innovation
Hello! My name is Maria Bernstein and I am from the great city of Chicago, Illinois. I am majoring in Industrial Design with a minor in Design and Innovation.
Design had always been a big interest of mine growing up, I was immersed in the Arts ever since I was little, so it was no surprise to me when I finally figured out that Industrial Design was the major I wanted to pursue here at Purdue, however, it wasn’t an easy journey. Starting out my Freshman year, I was in the College of Science as a biology major with the thought that the medical path was the one for me. I quickly realized that I wasn’t only in a major that I had no interest in, but I couldn’t see myself being anything medical related at all. After many talks with my academic advisor and help from my family, I was able to transfer into the College of Liberal Arts to begin the pursuit of my dreams as an Industrial Designer. It took a lot of hard work and studying, but I honestly would not change how I started out here at Purdue and the journey I have been on so far, the failures I went through freshman year only taught me that the true meaning of being a Boilermaker is how hard you work to push yourself through your failures, and to use those mistakes to help you strive to become a stronger individual.
At Purdue there are always ways to become more involved in the Boilermaker community. For me, I participated in Greek Life as a member of a sorority my freshman and sophomore year, and I was a part of Purdue’s Protect Purdue Ambassador program as a Boiler Ambassador. I had the pleasure of being a part of the Design team for Protect Purdue, which has really helped me further my skills in the Graphic Design field and is overall a great program to be involved in here at Purdue. Outside of school, I worked for a custom apparel company called GreekHouse, which helps design different types of apparel for sororities and fraternities throughout the US. Currently, I am involved in Purdue’s IDSA club and CLA’s Deans Ambassadors Program. Becoming involved throughout college is something that I believe is very important because, although it seems like it, studying all the time isn’t the only thing that’s done here. Having other outlets that you are involved in whether that be clubs, programs, or even being involved in different activities is a crucial part of the college experience and it’s a nice break from schoolwork!
The College of Liberal Arts has provided me with countless opportunities that have not only helped me academically but have really started to prepare me for life outside of college. I love that there are so many resources available to CLA students whether it be tutoring, academic advice, or even alumni mentors you could reach out to. My favorite thing about the College of Liberal Arts so far has to be my SCLA 300 class, this class has really helped me get a focus on what I want to do when I graduate college, and having so many alumni come talk to the class has provided me with so much insight on what steps I need to take to be better prepared for the career world.
To all the prospective students out there, my advice to you is to choose a school that is going to support you in every way possible. You never want to be regretful of the college you decide, because it isn’t only going to be a home for you for the next four years, but it is really where you develop who you are as an individual. You grow so much in college, and you figure out things about yourself you never could have anywhere else. Yes, it seems scary being on your own and taking that next step in life, trust me all of us have done it, but it really is a great experience you must embrace with open arms. I think that an individual has that overall positive experience in college when they pick the school that is right for them. Remember, you know yourself and what you truly want better than anyone. So, my advice is, just pick the school that not only has the things you’re looking for but pick the school that will help you strive to be the best version of yourself, like Purdue has done for me.