As a freshman, most of you probably participated in PUDM as a dancer, or had friends who did. You probably had fun with your pledge class, met some cool people, and felt good about supporting a great cause. However, this is just the surface of PUDM. You now have an opportunity to get further involved with Purdue’s largest student-run philanthropic event by applying for a PUDM 2015 committee.      

Through joining a committee, you will form some amazing friendships. Instead of interacting with new people for just 18 hours, you get to see them once a week for an entire year. I was on three committees prior to being on the executive board, and each year, my committee members and my fellow execs grew to become some of my favorite people on campus. I looked forward to our meetings because of the time we would spend together. As a committee member, you will also get to meet many people from different committees, throughout the year, whether it’s at cannings, mini-marathons, or Color Track events. Being on a committee made Purdue a whole lot smaller for me. I cannot walk around campus without running into someone I met through PUDM. Just ask any of my classmates.      

You will also get the chance to work on your professional development. Not only is committee membership a great resume booster, it allows you to learn important skills for your future: public speaking, interviewing, professionalism, flexibility, working with deadlines, and time management, to name a few. All of my senior friends with job offers say that their PUDM committee involvement definitely helped them stand out against other candidates.      

Being on a committee makes for a unique and rewarding experience. You will get to participate in fun events, like PUDM Formal and Grill Out Chill Out. You will also go outside your comfort zone and hold a prominent role in a very important Purdue organization. Come November, you will feel proud of the marathon and PUDM’s accomplishments because you will have helped achieve the goals set and the plans made.

Finally, being a committee member brings you closer to the cause. Your committee will be assigned children from Riley you will absolutely adore. You will get to see, firsthand, stories from Riley families about how beneficial PUDM is for sick children, and how you are helping to save these children’s lives. Every penny you raise, and every hour you contribute, comes back to you tenfold. You will be a better version of yourself because of what you will do for the children at Riley.      

Being a dancer is great, but being a committee member allows you to truly experience PUDM and all it has to offer. Committee applications for PUDM 2015 are live on pudm.org and are due on Saturday, Jan. 31. The 2015 Executive Board and I are so excited for you to apply and join our family!