Each Purdue Day of Giving, Whitney Wood proudly supports Purdue Dining and Culinary, which she faithfully serves as a process assistant. For the past seven years, Wood has made a personal donation and this spring raised an additional $500 in challenge funds for her department.
“What I like most about working at Purdue is that any role you play is a contribution to something greater,” Wood says. “I want to make sure I support my department whenever I can. This is why every year I participate in every social media challenge possible. I have a lot of fun with it and have been successful raising enough bonus funds in the past to fully endow some of our student awards.”
Through her work, Wood sees firsthand the impact Purdue’s students make—something that inspires her to regularly nominate deserving undergraduates for such honors as the ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) Award.
This year’s Purdue Day of Giving, held April 28, was particularly significant for Wood and her colleagues as it was the first without Amanda Adams, who had served as their department’s manager for training and development. “Amanda passed away suddenly this year, which created a void we all felt,” Wood says. “She was Purdue Dining and Culinary’s biggest cheerleader. She made sure the staff was always learning and felt appreciated, and she encouraged our participation in Purdue Day of Giving.”
Wood gave her 2021 gift in memory of Adams. “Amanda was one of the reasons I made the leap toward advancing my career within Purdue Dining, so I wanted to make her proud on Purdue Day of Giving.”
—Matt Schnepf
