ENGINEERING A LEGACY
When Mark and Michele Mandel dropped their son Owen (ECE’23) off at Purdue four years ago, they knew right away that he had chosen a school that was going to support him and encourage him to take giant leaps.
“Being from Boston, we were a little worried about Owen going to college so far away,” Mark says. “But when we dropped him off for Boiler Gold Rush, we could see that he had found his place.”
Throughout the years, the Mandels have enjoyed trips back to West Lafayette for football games and to see the Electric Vehicle Club’s (EVC) lab, where Owen spent many hours as a student. Thanks to Purdue’s distinguished alumni and contagious school spirit, the Mandels quickly fell in love with the old gold and black.
“The extension of the Purdue network is just incredible. When Owen walks through the airport in a Purdue sweatshirt, passersby shout, ‘Boiler Up!’ The university has a unique school spirit. You walk around campus, and everyone is wearing Purdue gear.”
Mark and Michele were impressed by the affordability of a high-quality Purdue degree relative to private colleges and universities. Motivated to make such an educational experience more accessible, the Mandels have established an endowment in the College of Engineering to support underrepresented minority students studying electrical and computer engineering.
“Every time we come to Purdue’s campus, we are blown away by everything we see. Purdue really goes above and beyond what you could ever expect of the college experience. We are very grateful to the university and wanted to help others have access to it.”
The gift amount was calculated based on the incremental savings realized over four years compared to much more expensive peer institutions. The couple hopes that the Mandel Family Scholarship Fund will assist future generations of Boilermakers with their own tuition costs.
“We want to set a good example for our children and show them how lucky they were,” Michele says. “We also think the endowment could be a vehicle for Owen and others like him to give back one day too.”
Owen graduated in May with a degree in electrical and computer engineering and is pursuing a career in AI. As a student, he was involved with the EVC and the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix, and he looks forward to returning to campus to help the club in future years.
“I’m proud of my Purdue education and grateful to my parents for supporting the university.”
DO MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT POSSIBLE!
Explore how you can make an impact with an endowment, or visit the link below to support the Mandel Family Scholarship Fund.
Purdue University scholarships are open to all individuals and are administered in compliance with the university’s nondiscrimination policy.
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