Purdue Agronomy Ambassadors

Hello!

My name is Nicole Smith, and I am a senior here at Purdue University. I am studying Natural Resources/Environmental Science with minors in Ecological/Environmental Engineering and Soil Science. My plans are to graduate in May of 2016, which is just around the corner! My hometown is Plainfield, Indiana, which is a suburb just southwest of Indianapolis. 

Throughout my time here at Purdue, I have been blessed with multiple opportunities to get involved on campus. Currently, I am an Agronomy/NRES ambassador and a Resident Assistant (RA) at Windsor Halls. Being an RA and student takes up a good chunk of my time, so I can’t be as involved on campus like I previously have! But, I have been fortunate to be involved with Purdue University Dance Marathon, Windsor Hall club, Boiler Green Initiative, Student Office Staff, Wabash Sampling Blitz, and Issues 360. Issues 360 is a fellowship program for students in the College of Agriculture where you can engage on controversial topics within agriculture and the environment. For someone who didn’t grow up on a farm, this was a great experience for me to see parts of agriculture I’ve never seen before! There are so many avenues on campus to get involved with if you are at all interested. Being involved on campus definitely heightens your experience as a student here at Purdue!

Over the summer, I had the great opportunity to study abroad! Through the School for Field Studies, I traveled to Australia and New Zealand. This was a huge personal growth experience for me because of the fact that I never had been outside of the US (or even on an airplane!). During my time there, I had an amazing experience of living in the middle of the rainforest, practically in the middle of nowhere. We would have class in the morning, and then go out into the field in the afternoon. The purposes of our studies were to contrast the economical, ecological, and social factors of Australia and New Zealand with a focus on sustainability. We also had the opportunity to participate in multiple indigenous cultural activities in both countries. One of my favorite memories was staying with a Maori family in New Zealand. We were able to learn about their culture, history, and family while living in their home. When we had to leave, we realized how quickly we became connected with their family and New Zealand. We also had the opportunity to do volunteer work through planting and tending to trees for restoration projects. Studying abroad this summer was definitely one of the best decisions I have made during my time here at Purdue!

For those of you who are interested in agriculture or the environment, Purdue is ready to welcome you with open arms! The friendliness and openness of the College of Ag’s faculty is what attracted me to this department. Professors genuinely want to get to know you, and want to see you succeed! Like I said before, there is SO much to get involved on campus with. Purdue has your niche! Boiler up!