Trine story continues: Second generation receives diploma from Dr. Brooks at Commencement

When their son Parker received his diploma from Trine University President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., at this year’s May Commencement, it was a full-circle moment for Stephen and Brooke Pelletier.

Both also had received their diplomas from Dr. Brooks: Stephen earned his degree in electrical engineering in 2002 and Brooke earned hers in psychology in 2004.

“I thought it was really special that we all received our diplomas from Dr. Brooks, even though we were all different years,” Brooke said. “Dr. Brooks has done an extraordinary job making Trine the college it is today.”

Musical meeting

Stephen grew up in a small town in New York and decided he wanted to study in a different state.

“I felt the need to get away, to get a little more out of my comfort zone and to truly experience a new place on my own,” he recalled.

One of his high school teachers, knowing he was looking for a small engineering school, suggested he look at what was then Tri-State University.

“I think he had a family member or friend who had gone there,” Stephen said. “I talked my parents into taking me there for a visit. After the visit, I was sold that Tri-State was where I needed to go.”

Brooke transferred to Tri-State from Ivy Tech.

“I really liked that it was a small school and I could commute, since I lived 20 minutes away in Auburn,” she said.

The pair met in Music Appreciation class in August 2002. Though he had walked at Commencement, Stephen was getting the credits he needed to finish his degree after completing a co-op, while Brooke was beginning her first semester at Tri-State.

“Since I worked one semester away from school, I had to come back for one semester to get the credits I would need to officially graduate,” Stephen recalled.

“A group of us would talk after class and Stephen was in that group,” Brooke remembered. “He thought I was a freshman but — surprise — I was a junior transfer. We started dating that semester. Stephen officially graduated and then I had a year and a half left.”

Stephen proposed to Brooke in that classroom in April 2003.

“I asked Dr. Samuelson for help seeing when that room was available that day and she was excited to help with my surprise,” he said. “We are now very grateful for Music Appreciation class, and both of our kids love music too.”

Familiar with campus

Parker visited Trine’s campus with his parents multiple times.

“He got accepted to 11 universities in Indiana, but we let him decide where he wanted to go,” Stephen said. “Ultimately, I think he ended up choosing to go there due to feeling more familiar with the campus (and being close to Grandma who lives close by). I guess with that said, a role we probably played was having visited there a few times with him and planting those seeds of familiarity.”

Parker said it felt like he was carrying on a family legacy when he decided to attend Trine.

“The campus was significantly different from when they attended, but despite all of the changes to the university, I still knew that I could succeed,” he said. “Trine was their home and it felt like mine too.”

Though he was about three hours from their home in Bloomington, Indiana, Stephen and Brooke were glad for Parker’s decision.

“I knew the campus was a safe place and I knew his surroundings,” Brooke said. “It was fun to talk to him and tell him stories about the places we went.”

Stephen said Parker grew up a lot during his time at Trine.

“As with most times we have had reflecting on parenting, those four years seemed to go by in a matter of minutes,” he said.

“I knew he received a great education and had built great relationships with his professors and faculty,” Brooke added.

‘Surreal’

Parker said it was “surreal and super special” to receive his degree from Dr. Brooks, knowing Dr. Brooks also had presented degrees to his parents.

“It's probably not common for the same president to graduate two generations at the same exact college,” he said. “Now, we have one more degree that we can add to our collection.”

“I was one of the students that got to meet with Dr. Brooks when he was there interviewing for the job and I remembered thinking he would be good for the job,” Stephen said. “After watching the success at Trine, driven by his vision and leadership, I am grateful to have been part of that and happy that he stuck around long enough for a legacy connection to the university within our family.”

“In all honesty, some things that I value as a parent of a student were not even on my mind when meeting Dr. Brooks the first time, but I am grateful that what he was able to build at Trine was available for Parker when he attended.”

Now that he has graduated with an applied health science degree, Parker is working as a medical assistant and plans to earn more online health certifications.

“My lifelong goal is to impact the people around me by helping them become healthier and smarter versions of themselves,” he said.

Dr. Brooks, now serving as chancellor, said he’s grateful to be part of stories like the Pelletiers’.

“It’s heartwarming to see the cycle of success continue as graduates like the Pelletiers go on to outstanding careers and then have children who return to the university and are equipped to make their own mark on the world,” he said. “Though the generations may move on, the positive impact of a Trine University education remains constant.”