From Student to Standout: Navigating Personal Branding

AAARCC Spring 2026 Lunch & Learn Series

From Student to Standout: Navigating Personal Branding 

Thursday, February 5 | 12pm-1pm  

AAARCC (915 5th Street) 

Session Description: Explore how to hone your narrative and purpose, connect with the stories of Boilermakers, and apply your personal brand for opportunities at Purdue and beyond. 

Guest Speakers: 

Thendral Kamal is a senior studying Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering and Political Science (BSAAE’26) at Purdue University. Since age 13, she has worked toward her dream of becoming the first Indian woman to set foot on Mars. 

Her passion to pursue a career in aerospace solidified when she designed and flew a reduced-gravity experiment onboard a parabolic flight at age 16. This experience has propelled her into industry roles at Delta Air Lines in aircraft structural support and at SES Satellites in space sustainability. 

As Purdue’s first international Brooke Owens Fellow, Thendral advocated for STEM outreach in rural American communities at the White House. Her advocacy and leadership have drawn recognition from former VP Kamala Harris, Vogue, and the Society of Women Engineers, which recently named her an Outstanding Collegiate Member. 

A dynamic storyteller and speaker, Thendral has captivated audiences across the globe with her journey, from delivering her first TEDx talk, ‘We Choose to Go to Mars,’ in Dubai, to presenting the Neil Armstrong Space Prize in Washington, D.C. Today, she continues to engage thousands of followers on social media, inspiring the next generation to dream beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. 

Flyer: https://aaarcc.short.gy/LL0205 

About Lunch and Learn Series:

The AAARCC hosts a Lunch and Learn guest speaker series each semester on select Thursdays from 12pm-1pm at the AAARCC (915 5th St.) or a campus-specific location (listed for each session). Doors open at 11:50am and the presentation starts at 12pm. This is a hybrid event. In-person seating is limited to the first 50 attendees. Please consider joining us over Zoom at: aaarcc.short.gy/LLzoom   

Each Lunch and Learn features faculty, staff, and students from a variety of disciplines sharing their research or expertise. We believe each Lunch and Learn session poses a valuable opportunity for students to learn from experts and engage in meaningful discussions. In Spring 2026, the AAARCC will highlight the theme “MADE: Asian American Histories of Making, Innovation, and Enterprise.” Through this lens, we explore how acts of making, whether artistic, culinary, intellectual, or entrepreneurial, are deeply tied to both joy and struggle in Asian American stories. From understanding the history of Chinatowns as both a place of refuge and a vital economic center, the popularity of Hindi cinema and portrayal of place and nation, to the refreshing boba and delicious banh mi and conchas wrapped in Greater Lafayette stories of creating and thriving, we hope that you join us in this semester-long exploration. 

If you have feedback about our Lunch and Learn series, please consider filling out this survey to let us know: bit.ly/aaarccLLsur