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St. Joe Valley

Welcome

Fellow Boilermaker Faithful,

Growing up in South Bend, I have always known there was Purdue pride in St. Joseph County. Since I have been involved in the Purdue Club of St. Joseph Valley (PCSJV), I have attended many gatherings in our area that were brimming with Boilermaker faithful. The Boilers in the Bend are some of the most loyal, selfless, and giving persons I have met in my life. The sense of community I have experienced as a part of the PCSJV is unlike any other group I have known. It is my sincere hope that we can continue to grow our outreach and offer a platform for all Boilermakers to have the same feelings of solidarity for years to come.

The Purdue Club of St. Joseph Valley has been a part of the community in St. Joseph County, Indiana, since 1988. During that time, our club has grown to be one of the largest scholarship giving Purdue Alumni clubs in the world! Our scholarship program is our biggest pride. In 2022, we awarded a combined total of $43,000 to twentytwo noteworthy students within our community. Funding for our scholarships come from the altruistic donors that are a part of our mailing list and from the countless fundraising events we host throughout the year. Our club is ever grateful because our members are ever true.

If you are a Purdue Alumnus, a Purdue fan, or a Purdue family I implore you to reach out to our club. Whether you join us for our annual night at Four Winds Field to watch the South Bend Cubs baseball team, to test your wits at our annual trivia night fundraiser, or to cheer on the Boilermakers at one of our game watch parties, I can guarantee you will make joyful memories and possibly a new friend. Our club is charitable, it is sociable, it is FAMILY. All Hail Our Own Purdue!

Boiler Up,

Rebecca Lindenman 
President – The Purdue Alumni Club of  St. Joseph Valley

Join Us

Our club plans several social events in the Saint Joseph Valley area each year. All are welcome to join us! Follow our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram) for event updates. Join our mailing list to receive our bi-annual newsletter. Email us at purdueclubstjoevalley@gmail.com to learn how to join our mailing list.

Our board meets once a month (minus July for summer break and December for winter break). By taking “one small step” to join the board, you can make a BIG impact! Email purdueclubstjoevalley@gmail.com for more information.

Scholarship Application

Purdue students who are residents of St. Joseph County are eligible to apply for a scholarship sponsored by the St. Joe County Alumni Club. All current Purdue students and students who are admitted to attend Purdue in the upcoming fall semester are eligible to apply.

All typed applications are required to be submitted in PDF format (Note: Hand written or non-PDF applications will be automatically withdrawn from consideration.) 

Applications and transcripts are due by March 1 for the upcoming academic year.

Download Scholarship Application

Questions?

Contact our Scholarship Chair, Nan McCartney at 574-703-1974 or email pcsjv.scholarship@gmail.com

Merchandise

You can now purchase Alumni Club of St. Joe Valley merchandise at the official Purdue for Life Foundation merchandise store. Offerings include branded shirts and outerwear for men and women, plus hats, blankets, tumblers, and more! Please note that you will be purchasing from Freckles Graphics, a preferred partner for merchandise.

Contact Us

Rebecca Lindenman
purdueclubstjoevalley@gmail.com

Purdue for Life Foundationalumniclubs@purdueforlife.org

Social Media

Keagan’s story

I’m walking with Grandparents University tour group near the steps of Hovde Hall. It’s a Thursday morning in July, and the only students around are between the ages of 7 and 14. I catch a snippet of a conversation between a grandmother and her grandson as she details the pranks she pulled with her friends around this area.

I smile because just a few months ago I was doing the same thing.

Grandparents University (GPU) is a two-day event where grandparents and their grandchildren embrace Purdue and all it has to offer.

Participants choose a specific major to study and attend a class taught by Boilermaker experts. The majors aren’t exactly like the ones we have here at Purdue, but they do get to do cool activities like creating hot sauce, designing monsters, flying drones, and cooking in a Purdue kitchen. It’s a great opportunity to see wisdom and curiosity combined in the classroom, as grandparents and their grandchildren collaborate on these projects. They’re equally willing to learn from the instructors —and from each other—while creating lasting memories.

They might not know it yet, but this Purdue experience at such a young age will help with their college decision in a few years.

My mother started working at Purdue when she was pregnant with me, so I’ve been familiar with the university my whole life. Many of my childhood memories are associated with different parts of campus, and these memories played a big part in my decision to attend Purdue. I was going to a place that I knew—a place I already considered a home away from home. In the same way, when these children make their college decisions, they will already have built connections with Purdue through Grandparents University.

It will also help they already have a Purdue degree!

At the end of GPU, the kids graduate just like regular students by walking across the stage of Elliott Hall of Music. They even have their own caps to decorate and keep—which is great because robe rentals would be a nightmare.

I had been to nine commencement ceremonies before my own in May, so I’m well-versed in Purdue graduations. Nevertheless, it was still fun to watch this one.

These children had learned so much more than what was taught in their major. They learned more about their grandparents and strengthened their connection with them. They learned about the university and what’s in store for them when they (hopefully) become Boilermakers. And at the Block Party, they befriended students they had never met before and hung out on Memorial Mall—just like regular college students.

It was almost exactly what I experienced throughout my college career. Yes, I got my degree and now  have a job as was intended on this life path. But I also made lifelong friendships and went outside my comfort zone in ways that helped me grow as an individual.

Purdue shaped me and continues to shape me. I credit a lot of my growth as a person and a professional to my college career here, and a lot of what I know to the professors and instructors I had throughout my education.

Through Grandparents University, you have the opportunity to provide the same transformative experience for future Boilermakers. You can be the Purdue instructor that inspires a path that lasts a lifetime.

Patsy J. Mellott

BS College of Health and Human Sciences, 1969
Fishers, IN

Patsy earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition in business from Purdue in 1969, in addition to an MBA in food marketing from Michigan State University in 1970. She retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 after 36 years in corporate food marketing and marketing communications management.

A community volunteer, Patsy serves on the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Advisory Board and the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council, in addition to the President’s Council Advisory Board. She is a former member of the Health and Human Sciences Alumni Board. Patsy held several offices from 2006 through 2013, including president and treasurer. She serves her community’s Discover Indianapolis Club in Fishers, holding several leadership roles for over 10 years.

Patsy has received several honors, including the Purdue University Nutrition Science Department Hall of Fame recipient in 2009 and the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. She also received the college’s Gold and Black Award in 2016, an honor reserved for donors who have moved the college forward by committing exceptional financial resources.

In addition to endowing two scholarships, the Patsy J. Mellott Scholarship and Patsy J. Mellott HHS Scholarship, she established the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award in the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2013. In 2015, she endowed the Patsy J. Mellott Women’s Tennis Coach Performance Award. She is a lead donor in the Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award and the Purdue Women’s Network Virginia C. Meredith Scholarship for the College of Health and Human Sciences.