Senior Remarks: Andrew Binder

My name is Andrew Binder, and I am a senior in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (AAE) with a focus and specialty in Space Dynamics and Controls. I graduate on December 15th – a date which is pretty quickly approaching (whether I want it to or not).  It’s been 1,508 days since my first day of college, and now as I approach end of my college career, it’s probably time for me to reflect on my time at Purdue.

I came from a small high school in Louisiana where I did not have to push myself too hard to succeed, so I thought college would be a breeze!  I showed up at Purdue and hit the ground stumbling.  After investing much less effort than I should have, my academic performance was, to say the least, lacking. It took an entire semester for me to realize how foolish I was being by not fully applying myself to my studies, but seeing my resulting grades finally triggered a moment of clarity - in the subsequent semesters, I worked hard enough to not only get back on track, but also to become competitive with some of AAE’s best students.  It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

By continuing to work hard, I have been able to take advantage of some incredible opportunities at Purdue.  From being a tour guide and ambassador for the College of Engineering to the Project Manager of a Purdue-built satellite, these opportunities have shaped who I am and what I can do as much as or more than classwork alone ever could.  Working hard has also enabled me to get ahead in my class schedule and take advanced graduate-level classes.  The difference between graduate and undergraduate classes is astonishing.  In undergraduate classes, you get a surface-level understanding of how the world works and some useful tools to use along the way. Understanding the world to a level of depth that only graduate-level classes have provided has helped me immensely and kept me from making errors that would have ensnared me otherwise.  Graduate-level classes have really enriched my experience at Purdue, and I highly recommend taking them if you get the chance.

Learn from me.  All of my time at Purdue - my mistakes, my experiences, and my attitude throughout – can be boiled down into three lessons:

1) Work hard, constantly

2) Expand your horizons, continually

3) Don’t give up, under any circumstances

Keeping these three goals and lessons in mind is something I still do to this day.  These have gotten me through grueling finals weeks, tough projects, and some of the most stressful times of my life.  Everyone inevitably fails (as I have many times).  Failure is simply a part of life and is necessary to ultimately achieving success.  Understanding and accepting that failure is inevitable allows you to continue to work hard and have hope through the stressful times.  When you’ve worked hard and accomplished the goals you’ve set out for yourself, keeping your horizons broad can and will (as it has with me) provide new avenues in life for you to explore.

Boiler Up, Hammer Down, and Hail Purdue!