Happy February Boiler Family!

As we are moving right along into the semester, lots of exciting things are happening around our state. This is a very special year for Indiana, as we celebrate our bicentennial, the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, the 60th IPL 500 Festival Parade, and the 40th running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon! This past month there were 33 college ladies from all over the state selected to serve as the 2016 500 Festival Princess Ambassadors. These young women were selected based on professionalism, scholarship, leadership, and community service. I have been blessed so greatly to be one of these 33 individuals! We had our orientation weekend last weekend and had so much fun while we learned about the 500 Festival and got to know each other. 
This is an outstanding platform for me to share my love of agriculture and spread the great news of what Purdue is doing in the industry.
Here at Purdue, classes are going through first rounds of exams and Boilers are studying hard! The Crops Resource Room has become one of my favorite study places. With computers, printers, friends, teaching assistants, and professors all around, homework is great to do during my day! I am loving learning new things about soil fertility, nutrient management, crop growth, ecology, and organic chemistry!
All students are looking forward to the warmer days to walk to class. Stay warm and bring on spring!
Boiler Up!
Christy

Has Spring Sprung Yet?

While the snow is falling here at Purdue, I can't help but to think of the warmer weather I'll be experiencing this Spring Break!  Nonetheless, it scares me to think too far forward in the year when there are only 3 more precious months in the place I've gotten to call home.  

My time in Purdue Agronomy has really set me up for a great future - I feel as if I'm prepared for whatever the world has to throw at me, regardless of where I am or who I'm with or what I'm doing.  While my next step is a graduate program at another institution, I feel confident that I would be able to find a place working in the area if I were going that route instead of what I've chosen.  What I've learned has extended so far beyond the classroom!  The friendships I've made, organizations I've been a part of, and experiences I've shared with others have made me truly grateful for the world around me.  Not only have I become rich with experiences, I've gotten so much professional exposure that I feel confident in stepping out into the real world (good thing, too, as I'll be forced to do it in 3 months!)

Here's to your journey at Purdue, hopefully as filled with possibilities as I've had.  Good luck with everything, as I sign off.  Love, Stephanie 

Oh We're Halfway There...

With the new semester recently starting, I've been completely swept away by the undertow. I'm taking way too many classes and for the first time in my life, I'm feeling completely overwhelmed. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I haven't taken a second to reflect on how far I've come and how far I still have to go.

I realized today that the close of last semester marked my halfway point in college. I am one and a half years in with one and a half to go. That just seems insane. How am I halfway done already? It has been crazy and hard, but worth every second.

In the past year and a half I have gained a countless number of friends, made millions of memories, work harder than I've ever had to before, laughed harder than I've ever wanted to before, and had more fun than I've ever have before. So in other words, so far college has been amazing.

Yes, I've studied. Yes, I've spent late nights doing homework. Yes, my homeworks are finished minutes before that 11:59 pm deadline. Yes, sometimes I have to bribe myself with food to get to classes. But none of that is what I'm going to remember when I think back to my college days.

I'm going to remember the time that my best friend invited me to her sororities Dad's Day and we got rained out at Ross-Ade. I'm going to remember the long soil judging trips with some of the best people I've ever met. I'm going to remember when Agronomy Club won the Farmer's Olympics and the team lifted me high over their heads. Killing time in the Crops Resource Center with friends. Hugging a goat in the Memorial Mall. Eating Insomnia Cookies and pizza with my roommate on out dorm room floor.



The last three semesters here at Purdue have really been a blessing (sometimes in disguise but a blessing none the less). I'm incredibly grateful to study beside some of the world's most intelligent people. I can't believe that I have less than three semesters to go but I also can't wait to see what they have in store for me.


Lots of Love and Boiler Up!

Shelby Sigman

Worldly Travels

     Attending college is not only the time in a person's life to continue their education, but it is also the chance to experience new things. One of the many benefits of attending Purdue University is that Purdue highly encourages their students to study abroad. There are multiple options to travel. A student can go for a spring break trip all the way up to an entire semester! In the College of Agriculture you can go many places including Ireland, Belgium, Costa Rica, Haiti, China, and even Cuba! Many students who come to Purdue depend on financial aid and scholarships in order to make it through. Not to worry! Not only does Purdue University award scholarship money to all students who answer the essay question, but the Agronomy Department also has scholarships that are awarded to students. Furthermore, if you study abroad for a semester any financial aid you receive can still be used!
     I am very excited to say that in 38 days I will be boarding a plane to go to Ireland for Spring Break with the College of Agriculture! Not only am I excited to be traveling out of the country for the first time and being on a plane for the first time, I am going to be traveling with some of my good friends. It is going to be an amazing experience that will cost me very little. We are going to be traveling to a new place everyday seeing Dublin, Irish Farms, famous sites, and so much more! I encourage everyone who comes to Purdue to take advantage of all of the opportunities that you possibly can.

As always, Boiler Up!

For more information about Purdue Study Abroad, see the link below!
https://ag.purdue.edu/Pages/default.aspx