Ag Ambassadors
Comments
Purdue Ag Ambassadors are student
volunteers who represent the College of Agriculture in a variety of ways.
Former Ag Ambassador Comments about the Program
Here is what a few of our 100+ Ag Ambassador Alumni have to say about their
experience as an Ag Ambassador.
How did serving as an Ag Ambassador benefit you in your career?
"Being an Ag Ambassador gave me the confidence to voice my opinion
on a wide variety of subjects to diverse audiences."
"The network of people I met and know from the trips and programs
that I did still amazes me. Every year I come in contact with people
whom I met while serving as an Ag Ambassador."
"Serving as an Ag Ambassador did several things for me in my career.
When I left my career to be a full-time stay-at-home-mom, I was my
company's Manager of Billing Services (Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance
Company). I had 15 employees reporting to me and had served on countless
committees, even as Chairman of our Quality Council for a year, a
position appointed by our CEO. Many times I had to speak in front
of crowds of 50 to 100 people, and those early speeches I did with
Ag Ambassadors gave me the courage and experience to handle myself
well in those situations. I also had to learn to hold my own as the
only woman in a room full of men, something I had encountered in
Ag Ambassador situations. I learned how to relate and have the self
confidence and poise to stand alone in these situations by encountering
them in Ag Ambassadors. Most of all, though, I think Ag Ambassadors
showed me that I had the power to change situations - I could affect
people's lives by caring and taking an interest in them, like we
did when we started working with the freshman to help them adjust
to campus life. Now, I'm home with my 15 month old daughter and starting
my own home organizing company, "A Place for Everything". Ag Ambassadors
gave me self confidence, poise and courage - things I'll take with
me throughout my life!"
How did the Ag Ambassador Program compare to
your other student activities?
"It was the only one where I knew I was making a difference each
time I participated. And, it was the only one that I felt true teamwork
with everyone working toward a common goal."
"I really liked the flexibility, and I felt the Ag Ambassador
Program complemented the other activities I was involved with."
What was the best experience you had serving as an Ag Ambassador?
"Flying to Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center with Purdue Pete
and Dean of Agriculture, Bob Thompson for an alumni meeting was a
great experience. I met with high school students interested in Purdue.
Four of those students came to Purdue to study agriculture. I was
able to watch them grow in their career at Purdue."
"I was pleased to meet a freshman student whom I had given a tour
to the previous year. She told me that the day she spent with me
was the reason that she choose Purdue's College of Agriculture! Then
the next year, she became an Ag Ambassador. I still feel very honored
and that I made such a difference in someone's life."
What was your most challenging Ag Ambassador experience?
"Keeping up with my engineering, ag, pre-med curriculum and serving
as an Ag Ambassador was a bit challenging at times, but I'm really
glad I did it."
"Expanding my comfort zone to include the traditional ag world
was a little challenging for me being a landscape architecture major
from an urban background. But, the experience of leaving my comfort
zone has certainly benefited me during my career and as I return
to college to complete a masters degree."
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