Hannah Puckett

2020 Graduate

Major: Public Relations and Strategic Communication

Hi everyone! My name is Hannah Puckett, and I studied Public Relations and Strategic Communication. I grew up in Northern Indiana, but now my hometown is West Chester, Ohio.  

When I was a sophomore in high school, my older brother began his college decision journey, and as the younger sibling throughout this process, I inevitably tagged along to all of his college visits. We visited Purdue several times, and each time we visited it just seemed to get cooler. My brother ended up choosing Purdue University, and I continued to visit him for the next two years, loving more and more of the campus every time I came. When it came time for me to make my decision, I knew that Purdue felt like home and was where I wanted to go.  

I chose Purdue because of the energy I could see and feel from the moment I stepped on campus, and for all the amazing opportunities I knew I would have while studying here and in my future as a Purdue alum.  

As someone who has always preferred the fulfillment you feel when you have a breakthrough conversation with someone, rather than the excitement you feel when you finally figure out a difficult math problem, I always wondered what my role in this world would be when it was time for me to decide on a career. After some self-reflection on what I felt I was good at, and some research on what law schools would eventually look for, I decided to major in communication. It was in my first few weeks at Purdue, surrounded by other communication majors, that I finally felt a sense of belonging and I started to understand all the opportunities majoring in communication could offer. My courses here at Purdue allowed for me to fully fall in love with communication, and I went on to choose a focus in Public Relations and Strategic Communication, which is the work I will be doing when I graduate.  

As a communication major at Purdue, I have the unique opportunity of having small class sizes which has allowed for me to truly get to know and make friends within my major. In addition to gaining a community of my peers within my classes, I am also able to get to know my professors and discuss topics in greater detail, which has greatly contributed to my success here.  

Outside of the classroom, Purdue has given me the opportunity to do charitable work through Purdue University Dance Marathon. I have had the opportunity to gain professional development through Public Relations Student Society of America, which will set me up for success within my future career. I had the opportunity to study abroad on a semester exchange in Copenhagen, Denmark and travel Europe, all while attending college in another country. Purdue has become my second home, set me up for success, and given me opportunities of a lifetime.