Logan Faircloth

Majors: Political Science, Law & Society
Minor: Human Rights, Environmental Policy, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 

My name is Logan Faircloth and I am from Fishers, Indiana. I am majoring in Political Science and Law and Society with a minor in Human Rights, Environmental Policy, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. 

All throughout high school, I planned to attend Purdue and study Biology with the hopes of then going to its veterinary school. The second semester of my senior year I realized that I didn’t want to study Biology because my passions were in politics and advocacy. I was hesitant to commit to Purdue after recognizing that I would no longer be studying science at a known STEM school. With these doubts, I decided to tour Purdue again, specifically the College of Liberal Arts.

On my tour, I was able to meet current CLA students and talk to them about their experiences as liberal arts students. I expressed my concerns about attending a STEM school for liberal arts and how that affected their studies. They both spoke about how much they loved being in a small school at a large university because the smaller class sizes helped them create more relationships.

When they told me this, I thought they were just saying it because they had to. However, after being at Purdue for less than a year, I have seen the truth in their words. In the College of Liberal Arts, my introduction classes are at most 40 people. In the other colleges, class sizes are up to 400. With smaller class sizes, I have the ability to develop better relationships with not only my classmates, but my professors, too. These relationships make it easier to learn and give me motivation to work harder. In the College of Liberal Arts, you are never alone.

The summer before my first semester at Purdue, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Peru. For two weeks, with 20 other freshmen, I got to explore the capital city, Lima, stay in bungalows in the Amazon rainforest, and hike Machu Picchu in Cusco. This program continued into my first semester and motivated me to begin a project to improve healthcare for LGBTQ+ students.

In addition to study abroads, I have been able to get involved with numerous organizations on campus. I am the fundraising/PR director for The Political Discourse Club. Every week, we talk about an important topic with people from all over the political spectrum. This club works against political polarization, and we have a fun time doing it! I am also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, a political science honor society. This organization focuses on undergraduate research and presenting that research. I’ve already been able to attend its national research conference in Washington, D.C.! In addition to these organizations, I am also a member of Purdue Immigrant Allies, Liberal Arts Student Council, and Purdue Democrats.

When I am not in class or at a club meeting, I am either working or taking advantage of the CoRec! I work at Au Bon Pain in the WALC! I love being occupied, and it is so easy for me to be busy with all the opportunities available at Purdue.