 For Vivica Fairbanks Henderson, manufacturing executive and former chapter president of the National Society of Black Engineers, Purdue provided a sense of community that enabled her to thrive and lead. My name is Vivica Fairbanks Henderson. I am a wife, a mother and senior director for energy optimization at the Kellogg company. When I decided to attend Purdue, my goal was to graduate with a degree in electrical engineering. My father was an electrical engineer, my mother was a teacher, and I always knew that between the two of them, I wanted to study engineering from a technical standpoint, but I also wanted to have an opportunity to work in a field that allowed me to work with others. As I was thinking about graduating and getting closer to graduation at Purdue, I went through the typical interview cycle like most students on campus, and I was fortunate enough to use one of my lottery picks. We had those back then to get on the interview schedule for the Proctor and Gamble Company. And little did I know that would have been one of the best decisions that I made while I was on campus. I was able to secure a job at Proctor and Gamble, and I consider that one of the giant leaps I was able to make because of Purdue. As I think about Purdue and I think about leaving footprints as a result of my Purdue experience, there are two key things that come to mind to me. The first one was having an opportunity to leave a footprint at Purdue through the Purdue Black Alumni Organization. My philosophy is to always leave the place better than you found it, and I had an opportunity to serve as president of the Purdue Black Alumni Organization for 10 years. The second piece is at my current company, the Kellogg Company, another well-known consumer packaged goods company, and having an opportunity to work there to deliver products that delight consumers in the foods that we share has been an amazing experience as well. Thanks to Purdue, I have been able to live my best life, and I say that wholeheartedly. I met my husband at the preview program at Purdue in the spring of 1986. And unbeknownst to us, that would be the start of a very long relationship. As a result, we have one son who is now 12 years old, who is the light of our lives. And so Purdue has allowed me to live my best life. And professionally, the credibility, the reputation, everything that comes along with a Purdue degree, I have truly benefited from that. And wherever I go, when I say Purdue or I say Boiler Up, I've got people in the room who can relate, who come over and shake my hand and engage with me in a way that it's hard to put words on. So it has been a fantastic journey, and I attribute that to my experience at Purdue. That was Vivica Fairbanks Henderson. Look for more stories at Purdue.edu slash footprints.