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Nina Scheel

Majors: Anthropology, History
Minors: Classical Studies, Forensic Sciences

Nina Scheel

Hello! My name is Nina Scheel and I am from West Lafayette, Indiana. I graduated in 2022 after majoring in Anthropology and History with minors in Classical Studies and Forensic Sciences.

Growing up, I’d always been interested in the concept of how other people lived, not only in other countries, but also in other time periods. As a military brat, I got the opportunity to experience a lot of other cultures due to moving around a lot. I never really knew what anthropology was until I got to high school and took an elective about it. I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted to pursue it as an actual career path, specifically in Forensic Anthropology.

From there I decided to major in Anthropology and minor in Forensic Sciences here at Purdue. With guidance from my advisor, I added my second major and minor after learning about how interlocked the subjects were in my other classes and how marketable having these fields of study would make me in the job market.

My favorite part about being a student at Purdue was all of the fun activities and groups on campus. No matter what your interests are, there’s always a club for you! I was a member of many different academic clubs such as Purdue Forensic Science Club and with our honors history fraternity, Phi Alpha Theta. I was able to participate in multiple WILKE Research Internships here at Purdue working one-on-one with some of my professors. I worked with Lithic Tool Analysis with Dr. Kory Cooper and as a research assistant in Dr. Melanie Beasley’s BIER Lab. I also participated in an independent research project with Dr. Beasley researching laws & policies regarding forensic anthropology and they reflect current scientific methods of analysis and evidence collection. 

My favorite part of being a CLA student here at Purdue is all of the opportunities that present themselves. To name just a few, we have so many study abroad options from which to choose, a career center right on campus, research internships and opportunities, and small close-knit classes that allow you to really get to know your professors!

So many CLA classes were a smaller size than the usual 100-person lecture halls that most people associate with college. By having a smaller average class size, I was able to make personal connections with my professors. That made it incredibly easy for me to get help and ask questions if I had any difficulties in the class, or to visit them during their office hours to learn more about specific interests from the class. Every professor I had has been so incredibly willing to help me succeed in their class, and many classes offer projects where you can add your own personal ideas and further develop your interests.

My absolute favorite part about Purdue is the gorgeous campus scenery! I loved spending my free time off of classes walking around campus enjoying all of the beautiful buildings and the fountains. I lovde being able to sit outside of WALC next to the Bell Tower and just enjoy the beauty of campus while completing my homework assignment, or outside of Beering by the fountain. My best advice for prospective students is to take advantage of all of the opportunities Purdue has to offer and to explore all of the clubs and activities to find your perfect fit!