A reminder on how to get read (and maybe even shared)

The human in the headline 

We’ve all read that profile about a student “exploring educational opportunities in a supportive academic environment.” We tend to feel our eyelids falling somewhere around “opportunities.” Thankfully, this doesn’t have to happen at Purdue. After all, we work at a place that builds robots and launches them into space. 

Sometimes students may just be trying to pass Calc II with their dignity intact. That makes them relatable. It’s always good to remind ourselves to talk about the human in the headline. Start with what the student wants. Maybe it’s to build better prosthetics. Maybe it’s to be the first in their family to graduate. Or maybe it’s to get through finals without crying in the bathroom. We’ve all been there. 

Ask them about what motivates them. Put their work in the context of their personal inspiration.  

Convey humanness. Run the quote from a sophomore that genuinely sounds like a 19-year-old talking. And scrub jargon. “Interdisciplinary academic excellence” sounds impressive. But simple terms are smarter. 

Highlight the rigor and innovation, but ground it in humanity. Mix in curiosity and humor. It doesn’t hurt to be reminded that Boilermakers are never boring! Our stories about them never need to be either! 

View this email in full here.