Ethan Enochian, an aquatic sciences major with a fisheries concentration, has been named as FNR’s
Outstanding Freshman for 2024-25.
“It feels excellent that I was selected to be one of FNR’s Outstanding Students and the representative from my class,” Ethan said. “This award means a lot to me because I worked extremely hard in high school to secure my spot at Purdue University and this feels reflective of my effort.”
After completing the Alpha STEM honors program and competing in track and field at Lane Tech College Prep High School, the Chicago native has hit the ground running at Purdue. He jumped into involvement in the American Fisheries Society, through which he learned to survey fish in a local stream through electrofishing.
He also is a part of Purdue’s Quiz Bowl team, through which he has helped host Quiz Bowl for high school students, helped staff the NAQT Midwest Sectional Event and competes with the Purdue college against other colleges and universities nationally. He also is a member of the Wiley Radio Club and Purdue Agriculture’s Technology and Innovation Learning Community. He also began working as a reporter for the Purdue Exponent student newspaper this spring.
Ethan was exposed to nature through Scouts BSA, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 2024 and earning the Order of the Arrow, through the BSA Honors Program, in 2022. He was elected Senior Patrol Leader by his troop peers twice. He also participated in the Philmont Adventure in 2021, completing a 10-day camping and hiking trek over 68 miles at elevations of up to 12,000 feet. He also competed more than 50 community service hours in his time with BSA.
“Ethan is our strongest student academically in their first year in FNR,” Dr. Elizabeth Flaherty said. “He has a very bright career ahead of him at Purdue and I look forward to hearing about all his successes.”
Ethan’s career goal is to open a business centered around the creation and implementation of closed systems that grow plants without soil. Aquaponics uses waste from fish which is carried by water from the fish tank to the grow bed and then back down.
