Interim department head
helps students with life's obstacles
School of Agriculture
department head aids student with housing
By Morgan Conklin
Summer
Reporter
A face in the crowd of a sea of students that
occupies a large lecture hall can get easily lost. However, it is
nice to know that some faculty will make the extra effort to help
a student when they need it most.
This past year, Axton Betz, a junior in the School
of Agriculture, has been faced with many challenges.
In February, Betz was left with no place to live
after her roommate made her leave their home at Hilltop Apartments.
Recently, Betz was involved in two car accidents, but through it all,
Chris Sigurdson, interim department head for the School of Agriculture,
was there to help. "This is a small town department in a global
University, which means that if you have a problem, we’re here,"
Sigurdson said.
When Betz met Sigurdson she assumed he was just
like any other department head. "I thought he was someone you
hear about, but never see," she said. "That is not the case,
he is the total opposite — he is not just a name, he is someone
you can go up to and talk to."
Betz said she knew Sigurdson was the type to
help out students, but she didn’t realize the extent to which
he cared.
As interim department head, Sigurdson believes
it is his responsibility to make sure students have a chance to be
successful both here at Purdue and when they leave; that is why he
helped Betz.
After Betz lost her housing, Sigurdson made some
phone calls to help correct the situation. When Betz was in the accidents,
he took off work to offer her moral support as well as help her clean
out her car.
Fellow faculty members are not surprised by his
actions. "He does take a great deal of interest in students and
he wants them to get the most out of their education and experience
at Purdue," said Crystal Hughes, administrative assistant to
the department head of agricultural communication.
Sigurdson said there are hundreds of acts of
kindness like that all over this campus. "That is part of working
here, and being at Purdue," he said.
Betz said she is appreciative of his efforts.
"He went beyond the call of duty," she said. "I can’t
thank him enough. A lot of faculty and staff wouldn’t do that
for students."
