May 8, 2025
Terrell Sucre, BA ‘23, MBA ‘25, remembers being a shy student when he first began his academic career at Purdue University Northwest (PNW).
Sucre, who is a self-described introvert and an international student from Trinidad and Tobago, did not necessarily expect to one day be a Resident Assistant and front desk coordinator with PNW student housing, or to help plan large cultural celebrations with PNW’s Cultural Heritage Celebration Committee.
By taking the courage to step outside of his comfort zone, Sucre’s world opened up, and he made many new peer and professional connections with PNW faculty and staff members. From completing a bachelor’s degree in Political Science to finishing his Master of Business Administration, Sucre feels how much his confidence has grown to boldly enter his professional interests.
“Form connections,” he advises his peers. “Any incoming student should go to events and meet different faculty and staff because they all want to help you in your success.”
Being an active member of Alpha Psi Lambda was really rewarding because I made a lot of friends and grew my speaking skills and confidence. It is like I found a second family here.
Why did you choose your major?
“I chose Political Science for my undergrad because I am a huge history buff and enjoy learning about international relations. One experience I remember was getting to do Model UN with Dr. Meg Rincker, which allowed us to essentially roleplay on the interests and relations of different peoples that are thousands of miles away from each other.
Getting to be a research assistant with Dr. Yu Ouyang helped solidify my interest in analytics in business contexts. I then focused on Information Systems and Business Analytics during my MBA program.
While I would eventually love to go to law school, right now I am mainly looking to enter market and cost analysis roles so that I can help firms analyze their consumers and markets to support the firms’ goals.”
Were you involved in any student organizations on campus?
“I was an active member of Alpha Psi Lambda, which is a large Latino-interest coed fraternity. I got to see it grow from low participation during the COVID-19 pandemic to one of the largest groups on campus. Our main philanthropic aim is supporting the Latino community. It was really rewarding because I made a lot of friends and grew my speaking skills and confidence. It is like I found a second family here.”
Did you have a pivotal experience while attending PNW?
Working with the office of Hispanic-Serving Institution Initiatives, the Unity Hub and the Cultural Heritage Celebration Committee has been the most enjoyable experience for me. Trinidad and Tobago is a very diverse country, so I enjoyed being a grad assistant with these offices and initiatives so we could celebrate different cultures on campus. Learning about other cultures brings so much more color to life and you learn so much more that you otherwise would not have known.”
Was there anyone at PNW who inspired or encouraged you along the way?
Iris Sanchez
Director of Hispanic-Serving Institution Initiatives
“Iris was one of the staff members that I was always around the most. Trinidadian and Hispanic culture have a lot of similarities, so working with Iris helped make things feel a little like home and her approach felt familiar to me.”
Darien Thompson
Director of Student Success and Urban Engagement
“Darien is a go-getter. She has been instrumental in helping me gain more confidence so that I could use my talents and brainstorm together on ways we can help and support communities that are underserved.”
Meg Rincker
Professor of Political Science
“She provided a classroom environment that supported broad and complex thinking, as well as an environment that allowed students to explain their thoughts and translate those into writing. She was extremely supportive with whatever her students did.”
Meet the Spring 2025 Graduates
Discover what drives our remarkable Spring 2025 graduates. From late-night study sessions to campus milestones, see how they’re Powering Onward.
