Four elite students in Krannert’s new Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) undergraduate degree program cohort are benefitting from the inaugural Julie Wainwright Scholarship for Women Who Make a Difference.
Wainwright (BSIM ’79) is the founder of TheRealReal.com and recognizes the importance of increasing the number of females in entrepreneurship. She established this scholarship in 2020 to acknowledge and elevate Krannert women enrolled in the IBE program. “I give to Purdue and the students at Purdue because I know firsthand the power of an education from this University to enhance and expand a person’s life,” she says.
The scholarship provides full tuition, fees, and room and board for two in-state students and two out-of-state students. All females accepted into the IBE program are automatically considered for the scholarship, which is renewable provided the recipient remains enrolled in the program. Selection is based upon academic merit, with preference given to students who are participating in the University’s Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program.
The 2021 recipients of the Julie Wainwright Scholarship for Women Who Make a Difference are Renee Patton, Hammond, Indiana; Elizabeth Creech, Lafayette, Indiana; Isabella McGuire, Columbus, Ohio; and Anika Nambiar, San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Patton (IBE ’25) is eager to pursue study abroad opportunities made accessible by the scholarship. “I am considering being a diplomat as a possible career option, but more than anything I want to start my own business abroad somewhere,” she says. “I'm hoping to travel the globe and discover what I need to do to make the world a better place.”
Creech (IBE ’24) also has entrepreneurial aspirations. “I’d love to own my own company someday,” she says. “I’ve had to go a bit slower than most traditional students because I don’t want to end up in debt, so getting a scholarship really means a lot to me.”
McGuire (IBE ’25) is equally grateful. “Words cannot explain the gratitude I have for receiving this prestigious scholarship,” she says. “Not having to worry about balancing work with school, I will be able to devote 100% of my time and energy to my studies and seeking additional opportunities.”
Nambiar (IBE ’25) says the scholarship has been her “saving grace.”
“I received scholarships from other schools, but I have wanted to go to Purdue since my early high school years,” she says. “Thankfully, this scholarship came through at exactly the right time.”
