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  

Summer Internship

As we've settled into the spring semester, I can't help but get more and more excited as the summer drawers near.  This summer, I will be working for Dow AgroSciences in Fowler, IN.  I will be working as a corn breeding intern, with a group of other interns, leading pollination groups and conducting field experiments.  What's really great about the Fowler location is that I'll be able to live on campus and still be close to all of the happenings at Purdue University during the summer!  Not only am I excited to work in the field and get more hands-on-work experience, I'm also very much looking forward to conducting my own project at the end of my internship term.


One of the things that I love most about the Dow AgroSciences company is their commitment to innovation through advanced agricultural technologies.  World hunger has always been an issue that is really close to my heart, and I am so excited to work for a company that's passionate about finding solutions.  Dow focuses a lot of their work on finding better ways to feed the world and improve life across the globe.



I am ever grateful for the opportunities the Purdue Agronomy department has given me.  With the huge College of Agriculture Career Fair, getting hands-on work experience on campus, and taking courses with world-renowned faculty, I know I would not be where I am today without Purdue Agronomy.  There has never been a better time to get into the agronomy field, with all its job opportunities and ways to make a difference in the world we live in!

And the Spring Semester Begins!

Hello everyone!

Once again the we are back in full swing here at Purdue for the spring semester. I cannot believe this is the second semester of my junior year! It seems that winter came back with all of the returning students from break. The days have been quite cold and chilly walking to class. However, with the beginning of the semester comes many opportunities for students.

Me, Tiffany, and Claire at the basketball game.
My best friends since Freshmen year. 

Mackey Arena!

In the spring several clubs have call outs, new intramural sports begin, Purdue basketball games are being played, and several more wonderful opportunities are taking place on campus. Since being back this semester I was able to go to a Men's basketball game with a few of my closest friends that I met here my freshmen at Purdue. I also attended a free Night Train swing dancing lesson and the club callout for the Student Chapter of Environmental Education. I am on my Cooperative House's intramural soccer team, and this weekend my house is preparing for our spring rush event to meet all of the new potential incoming girls to live in Ann Tweedale with us.

Ladies of Ann Tweedale Cooperative House. 

Being involved in extracurricular activities both in and outside your major are great additions to your college experience. It is a great way to meet friends and get involved. You can also use them to build your resume and get leadership experience. Being involved with activities outside of class helps students learn to manage their time. I love being involved, making new friends, and having fun. Purdue has endless opportunities, so make sure to take advantage of them while you are here.

All the best,

Roni

Veronica Yager

Purdue: Take Two

Hi everybody, and welcome back to the second, spring semester here at Purdue! I hope everyone had a relaxing break, and is ready to start this new semester! Just a little recap on who I am again for those who do not know, my name is Gina Zaccagnini and I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am a sophomore here at Purdue studying Natural Resources and Environmental Science, with two minors in Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Policy. The NRES program has numerous options that one can choose from as to which concentration that one would like to focus on. For me, I chose Water Quality; however, there are several other options such as Air Quality, Emerging Environmental Issues, Land/Soil, and Policy! It's a great program, just as any other program that is offered at Purdue, to be involved in! I am taking 17 credit hours this semester; however, since I am also participating in the 2016 Spring Break Study Abroad trip to Cartagena, Colombia this upcoming March, I am hopefully going to earn 19 credit hours after this semester has ended.
I have a small little message for the prospective students, however... I hope you all have heard good news back from whatever college(s) you have applied for... (Hopefully heard some great news from Purdue), and I want to say that if you have made the fantastic decision on joining the College of Agriculture's team here at Purdue, well, welcome home! I promise you that coming to Purdue will change your life in a positive way, and I ensure you that this University has amazing things in store for everyone who attends. On that note, I wish everyone a great rest of the week, and a great start to 2016!

Stay Warm & All the Best,

Gina