Kirgiss joins Purdue Bands & Orchestras with sixteen years of experience in hospitality. She spent the majority of those years in food and beverage service, restaurant management, and coordinating special events. In 2018, she moved to Indiana from Ohio and returned to school the following year to pursue a degree in hospitality and tourism management. While in school, Kirgiss worked as a teaching assistant for courses in business leadership and human resources. With her professor’s support, she received a certificate for college teaching. In her senior year, Kirgiss was voted and served as the President of HTM Society’s Black Tie Dinner and was recognized as her program’s outstanding Senior. She graduated as a non-traditional student from Purdue University with the highest distinction in 2022.

After graduating, Kirgiss was hired by Greyhouse Coffee & Supply Co. to design and open a café in downtown Lafayette called The Lobby by Greyhouse. She continued to work as the General Manager of the Lobby and the Guest Experience Manager for Greyhouse for the next two years. Most recently, she has been applying her event management skills at the Purdue for Life Foundation as a Special Events Coordinator for the College of Engineering. Beyond her professional pursuits, Kirgiss spends much of her free time playing volleyball in community leagues, performing with the Lafayette Civic Theater, and remodeling her home where she lives with her Husband Tate and their three dogs, Caspian, Zelda, and Fiona.