An open classroom environment fuels curiosityĀ

Purdue Polytechnic High School senior shares how an innovative approach to learning opened him to new challenges
Looking back at who he was his freshman year of high school, Medger Hansboro can barely believe his own transformation.
After the school he had been attending shut down, he visited an information fair to understand his choices moving forward. That was the first time he heard of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools.
āI was interested in a more hands-on experience,ā Medger says. āI got to talk with the coaches at the booth, and what really struck my mind was how they were trying to push this idea of an innovative school experience.ā
Part of that innovation is exemplified through the term ācoachā instead of āteacher,ā reflective of the more dynamic atmosphere that Purdue Polytechnic High Schools foster.
And that atmosphere was exactly what Medger needed.
āPrevious school years before joining PPHS, I didnāt agree with a lot of the ways they ran the classroom,ā Medger says. āI didnāt learn as much as I have now because of how they would handle class disruptions. It wasnāt productive at all.ā
His experience at PPHS allowed Medger to focus more on his passions, primarily math.
āMath is most definitely my favorite subject,ā he says. āI love how structured it is and how the problems come across. It really feels like a puzzle.ā
Lessons learned
During his time at Purdue Polytechnic High School North, Medger was able to spend time as a coding intern with E-gineering, a software consulting firm based in Indianapolis.
āI had great connections and amazing experiences,ā Medger says. āI also learned a new type of work management, called Agile Scrum, and I got a certificate for it.ā
Through that internship, Medger learned some important lessons that he carries with him still today.

āOne of the things I learned is that itās up to you if you get frustrated. You are old enough to handle your emotions, and you get to decide if youāre going to get mad or get frustrated by something.ā
Medger saw this frustration play out at PPHS with his English classes.
āI hesitate a lot because Iām trying to pick and choose my words precisely,ā Medger explains. āAnd I wasnāt very good at writing papers.ā
Rather than yield to frustration, Medger decided to embrace the challenge. Even if he isnāt going to become a writer or an English major, he says that itās still important to be able to articulate your ideas.
āItās important for me to communicate and write down what Iām thinking ā thatās why Iām getting more passionate about it.ā
Medgerās intelligence and thoughtfulness are only matched by his curiosity, something heās looking forward to cultivating as he moves into the next chapter of his life as a freshman at Purdue University.
āI love being able to talk about things and go a bit deeper into conversations with people,ā Medger says. āIām looking forward to the struggles of learning new things and the amount of new people Iām going to meet and networking that I can do and having new experiences ā Iām just looking forward to learning a lot.ā
This fall, he will be starting his Purdue career in the exploratory studies program.
āIām kind of stuck in the middle of hardware and software, which is designing and actually building stuff, or doing the coding part,ā Medger says. āIām really passionate about both of these things, so Iām kind of conflicted on what I want to do. I want to see if thereās a field where it meets right in the middle.ā
Asked what he thinks about Purdueās West Lafayette campus, Medgerās eagerness to start college is palpable.
āI just want to experience all of it. Iāve been there three times. I want to attend Purdue and fully be able to take in what Iām seeing and experience it for myself.ā
Thatās what kids need ā just love and respect. A lot of times they lack it in other places. And the coaches do such a great job of providing that.
Medger Hansboro
PPHS Class of ā23
āLove and respectā
As Medger graduates, he has already accomplished a lot. Heās learned to open up with his peers and coaches. His school passion project saw him working on Rube Goldberg machines. And in his free time, heās been building a computer for his girlfriend on a tight budget, staying up late to teach himself how to do it.
āI found this really cute little case that I think sheāll like,ā Medger says.
Reflecting on the past four years, Medger credits his growth at PPHS to two things: love and respect.
āThatās what kids need ā just love and respect,ā Medger says. āA lot of times they lack it in other places. And the coaches do such a great job of providing that.ā
Looking back, a few stood out for Medger: Keeanna Warren, the founding principal at PPHS North, now Associate Executive Director of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools; as well as Kacie Duffey, the school nurse; and Nolan Duffey.Ā Ā
āDefinitely strong love for them. Without them, I would not be here talking with you.ā
As he finishes his senior year, heās focused on sharing his experience and thoughts in the hope of encouraging others who have struggled in a traditional classroom and making sure that Purdue Polytechnic High Schools continue to provide an environment that nurtures students while challenging them to think ā and act ā big.
āTo any person who doubts themself, I would love to share that thereās more to life,ā Medger says. āIf you cannot see over the wall or fathom whatās beyond the wall, you have to constantly push ā you have to walk through it until youāre past the wall.ā

āTo any person who doubts themself, I would love to share that thereās more to life.
Medger Hansboro PPHS Class of ā23