The Power of Positivity
Erik Props has overcome adversity to be a positive force for Krannert undergraduates

By Tim Newton

There are two things you can usually count on seeing daily in the Krannert Building. One is Erik Props with a smile on his face. The other is Props with a group of students nearby.

The coordinator of undergraduate career services has helped shape countless students’ futures with his counsel as an advisor and mentor. His advice is both cheerful and practical, and he remembers something about almost every student who has crossed his path in his 15-plus years at the Krannert School.

“Erik is a great listener, and he is always available to students,” says Judy Rife, a secretary in the undergraduate career services area. “He’s always thinking of ways to improve the way we do things. He takes everything in stride, no matter how crazy things get.”

Props’ poise under pressure dates back to his childhood days — particularly to a life-altering event he experienced as a Krannert senior.

Blink of an Eye

Born in Lafayette, Props was a three-sport athlete at Harrison High School. He played tennis, swam, and was a baseball slugger. Props ran his own lemonade stand and lawn-mowing business as a youngster, and lived across the street from Krannert Professor Dennis Weidenaar. He says attending the Krannert School felt like a “logical step.”

Props was active in his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, and was beginning his senior year at Purdue when his life changed in an instant. On September 3, 1989, just months after his 21st birthday, Props and some friends were spending the day as they often had that summer, water skiing on Lake Shafer in nearby Monticello.

“I had learned how to ski barefoot that summer, and we were doing tricks like we usually did,” Props recalls, smiling as he recounts the story. “I lost concentration for a second and caught a toe in the water. Most times when that would happen, I would tuck and roll and land on my back. This time, I was delayed in my tuck, and I went forward and hit the water with my head.”

The results were devastating. Props broke his C6 and C7 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. As bad as it was, it could have been worse.

“I was face down in the water, and I knew I was in trouble. My competitive swimming instincts went into effect, and I was able to hold my breath for a while. I could hear the hum of boats in the water, but everything seemed like it was in slow motion. Finally, I passed out after about 20 seconds or so,” Props says.

Thankfully, one of the skiers in the boat was a lifeguard who jumped in the water and helped pull Props into the boat. By the time they reached shore, an ambulance was waiting to take the injured skier to a nearby hospital. Once stabilized there, he was lifelined to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

There, Props and his parents spoke to a doctor who was blunt in his prognosis. “He told me I would probably never walk again,” Props says. “I had a pretty good feeling that that was the case, but it really hit my dad hard. I was the only child in the family, and it was tough for him to see me go from being a pretty good athlete to that condition.”

Moving On

After spinal fusion surgery, Props immediately gave his mother, a registered nurse, a list of things to do. (“She still has the list,” he says with a grin.) The first item was to let the Krannert School know that he would have to lay out for a while, but fully intended to finish his degree. He spent a week in the neuro-Intensive Care Unit and another week in regular ICU before spending four months in a rehabilitation facility.

A natural with children of all ages, Props regularly volunteers for the School of Management Council’s annual Head Start Holiday Party.

There were setbacks along the way. Props recalls that his first and only experience with morphine was not pleasant — “I saw a witch flying around my room on a broom” — and he had to have sinus surgery related to being submerged in the dirty lake after his accident. Yet, even in the early days of dealing with his accident, Props harbored no bitterness.

“There was no one to blame but myself. I did this. The only thing I could think about was how to overcome it. I knew what I wanted to do, and the task at hand was finding a way to do it,” he says.

Props says it took the better part of two years to transition to his wheelchair and accompanying lifestyle. Through physical therapy he gained limited use of his hands and 70 to 80 percent triceps strength.

Props tried to go back to school in the summer of 1990 (“too soon”) but wound up back in the hospital for two weeks. He suffered infections in his liver, bladder, and kidneys, and developed mononucleosis and hepatitis. During his illnesses, he lost 30 pounds.

Undaunted, he returned in the fall of 1990, and took 12 hours at the Krannert School. As part of his recovery, Props had a pump inserted into his stomach in December, right after finals. The pump delivers medication to control his spasms, which sometimes cause him to shake uncontrollably.

Unfortunately, the pump caused its own problems. Props had a seizure related to the medication during a management class the following spring, leading to an overnight hospital stay.

Then, a doctor in Indianapolis mistakenly put three months’ worth of medication into his system. Props, who drives a specially designed van, was on his way back to West Lafayette when he began to feel ill. He pulled off the road outside of Frankfort and called home, unsure of where he was.

By the time his mother arrived on the scene, Props was almost unresponsive. He was taken to Home Hospital in Lafayette, and then lifelined for a second time to Indianapolis. Doctors there induced a coma, and Props eventually made a full recovery.

Career Path

Through all his medical trials and tribulations, Props never took his eye off the goal of obtaining his management degree. He graduated in the spring of 1992, and went to work for a local start-up company in accounting and management.

A few months later, he got a call from Barb Doster, director of undergraduate programs. She wanted to know if he was interested in an advising position at the Krannert School. Props had lunch with Doster and Jack Hatcher, academic director of undergraduate programs, and decided it was time for a career change.

“Sonja Wise had been my advisor, and she was a great role model,” Props says. “I thought it would be great if I could have the same effect on other students.”

Props joined the school in a part-time advising capacity, working 20 hours a week. At the same time, he began work on a master’s degree in education. Once that was finished in 1996, he came onto the staff full-time.

Props was popular with students and won several awards for his advising abilities. He was twice named the Outstanding Advisor in the Krannert School. In 2000, he was named Outstanding Advisor by the Purdue Academic Advising Association (PACADA) and Outstanding Advisor for the Great Lakes region by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).

“I took a very simple approach to advising, and it was the same approach I took to my rehabilitation from the accident,” Props says. “First, you have to realize what each student wants to do. Then, you have to help them realize how to get from point A to point B to make it happen.”

Props served in a variety of roles within the advising area until 2002, when he was named director of undergraduate programs. He was in that position until 2005, when Kay Henry retired as coordinator of undergraduate career services. Props says the opportunity to succeed Henry was in line with his personal goals.

“I really thought it would be fun to help young people develop their careers. It was a great fit for me, and it had me working directly with students again, which I enjoy,” he says.

In his role, Props serves as a liaison with Purdue’s Center for Career Opportunities (CCO), the department that works with students and alumni in exploring career options and developing job search skills. Props keeps CCO informed of curricular and option area changes in the school, as recruiters need to be updated on the marketability and skills of Krannert students.

Erik Props, his wife, Katy, and their son, Nicholas, tailgate with fans outside Ross-Ade Stadium before a Purdue football game.

He also works with the School of Management Employers Forum (SMEF) to put on career fairs in the fall and spring. Student leaders appreciate his efforts.

“Erik has been an unbelievable mentor and friend to countless students and faculty,” says Gerald Sims, a senior from LaPorte, Indiana, and president of SMEF. “He provides constant support to all who ask and his willingness to help others pushes people to perform at their highest potential. He has helped build our school into an amazing place, and there is no doubt that he is an invaluable asset to Krannert.”

Another Family

Props was renowned for working long hours in the Krannert Building. That changed somewhat when he began dating Katy Anderson, a Purdue graduate from Logansport. They married in 2006, and adopted a baby, Nicholas, in 2008.

“I used to work crazy hours. But my priorities have changed. I want to be home and spend as much time with Katy and Nicholas as I can. He changes so much every day, and I don’t want to miss anything,” Props says.

The proud father admits that it takes him longer than he would like to perform simple baby chores, like mixing formula. Keeping with his work routine, he’s constantly searching for more efficient ways to take care of business. But he always does it with a smile on his face.

“After my accident, I saw so many people in the hospital who were really negative. I decided I would always try to focus on what I could do and wanted to do, not on what I couldn’t do,” Props says.

“Life is good. I feel like I want to be doing something every waking moment of the day. I just wish there were more hours in the day.”