Monique Purnell, WC ’11, spoke to undergraduate students Wednesday, Sept. 10, about leadership and taking control of their own paths as part of the annual GOLD Speaker Series.
Assistant Vice President of the Undergraduate School and The Women’s College Didi Cassell introduced Purnell to a full house in Hosch Theatre.
“Welcoming Ms. Purnell back to Brenau as our 2025 GOLD Series Speaker provided an excellent opportunity for our campus community to gain insights on developing the skills that are useful in becoming a leader, no matter what stage of life they are in,” Cassell said after the event. “Monique’s remarks encouraged attendees to get involved, take risks, say ‘yes,’ and build connections, while also emphasizing the importance of finding one’s passions and protecting their mental health along the way.”
Purnell, who is currently a freelance instructional designer, earned a BFA from Brenau. During her time at Brenau, she was president of her sorority, and involved in several other clubs and organizations. She told the audience, though, that her first year she did not want to take risks, and only started engaging her sophomore year.
“I decided I was going to play it safe my freshman year, and at the end of the year I looked through my yearbook and saw that Brenau offered a lot of opportunities to grow, as both an individual and a leader, and I hadn’t taken advantage of any of those options,” Purnell said. “In that moment, I made a commitment to change that next year. I wasn’t going to hide from opportunities and I was going to make room to grow.”
Purnell went on to get her master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida International University, and has served in several leadership roles in national greek life, including as Learning & Development Director at Alpha Gamma Delta International Headquarters, and as a volunteer for Phi Mu Fraternity. While advising students at FIU, she specialized in helping students with undecided majors find their way, assigning them discovery tasks, assessments, and organizing interviews with potential program directors.
“I would have students who would say they felt like it was a waste of their time to do the tasks I assigned,” Purnell said. “But they felt like it was a waste of time because they were stagnant and stuck. Not because they didn’t have the resources, but because they didn’t take ownership or responsibility. But there’s a lesson here: don’t waste your time at college. Brenau has so many opportunities for you to grow as a person, to learn leadership lessons, take advantage of the time you have here and focus on yourself.”
Purnell also provided a way-finding questionnaire students could use to determine if an activity, club, or organization was right for them. At the end, she answered audience questions, facilitated by Cassell.
The GOLD Speaker Series program brings relevant speakers to Brenau to discuss topics related to each year’s theme, with this year being an L year and celebrating leadership.
All photos courtesy of AJ Reynolds for Brenau University.
