Seven-year-old Valerie jumps from rock to rock around Sinninger Pond—smiling as she counts each step and assuring her grandparents that she won’t fall in.
Sitting across from her at the base of the Purdue Bell Tower, 10-year-old cousins Jenny and Vivian are creating shade with their hands over a phone to look at the picture they took with Purdue basketball star Fletcher Loyer.
Across the way, alumni Jeff and Cheryl Leach point in the direction of where they first met—in the breezeway of the Mathematical Sciences Building—for their grandchildren, Harper and Jackson, who just finished taking photos on top of a giant “Hail Purdue!” sculpture.
It’s the end of another Grandparents University session, and as the 500 participants prepare to head home, one thing is clear: these families are leaving feeling closer than they did when they arrived two days ago.
Hosted by the Purdue for Life Foundation, Grandparents University (GPU), is a two-day program for grandparents and their grandchildren, ages 7–14. Participants choose from more than 30 majors spanning nearly every Purdue college, attend classes taught by Purdue faculty and Boilermaker experts, explore campus through exciting field trips—and even walk across the stage at Elliott Hall of Music for their own graduation.
This year’s program consisted of two sessions: July 17–18 and July 24–25.
“GPU gives kids exposure to some of the incredible educational opportunities at Purdue, but the foundation of these past two days has really been personal relationships,” says Anne Nelson, who attended with her husband Charlie (M’68) and their 14-year-old grandsons Luke, Liam, and Lincoln.
Even though the boys know they will age out of the program after this year, that hasn’t stopped them from scheming up ways to return.
Anne shakes her head and laughs. “I wish we could have more years with these guys because we would come back if we could.”
Grandparents University gives families many ways to learn with each other, but they often find that they end up learning just as much from each other.
“We were able to spend a lot of one-on-one time with each other,” grandparent Fran Weidner says. “I really feel like I was able to get to know them better. One of my granddaughters is 7, and she’s already planning to come back for another seven years!”
The connections that are built every year at GPU go beyond grandparents and their grandchildren.
Last year, 9-year-old Ellie and 10-year-old Myrna met in their major and quickly became close friends. Fast forward to this year, once again in the same major—and they haven’t left each other’s sides for two days.
“We both came a day early, and we had dinner at the same place,” Myrna says.
“That’s where we saw each other!” Ellie adds.
“We’re already planning on what we’ll do next year so we can spend time together again,” Myrna says.
While some families plan for their futures, Fran Miller (EnE’81) and her 9-year-old granddaughter Adalynn discovered a way to honor their past.
When Fran found out that their major, Sew Many Memories, would give them the opportunity to create a pillowcase from a cherished fabric, she immediately went to the back of her closet and found the handmade Christmas vest her mother had made.
“I could never throw it away, but I also knew I would never wear it,” Fran says. “My mom has been gone for 11 years, and now I’ll be able to display this in my home every holiday season.”
Because GPU is as much about looking back as it is about looking forward.
“My husband, Dan, and I met at Pappy’s Sweet Shop 59 years ago,” Margy Nebesio (HHS’70) says. “Purdue is a special place for us, and it has supported us a lot.”
Dan (ME’70) nods. “For us, GPU is about being with our grandkids and introducing them to this incredible place.”
At Grandparents University, memories aren’t just made—they’re shared, passed down, and carried forward, one Boilermaker family at a time.
Grandparents University 2026 will take place July 16–17 and July 23–24. For more information, visit purdueforlife.org/gpu.
—Christina Egbert
