Grant Bell Headshot 

Learn, Connect, and Grow: Your Future Starts Here. 

Name: Grant Bell

Hometown: Sullivan, IN

Major & concentration: Agricultural Systems Management and Agricultural Economics

Minors or certificates: Food and Agribusiness Management and Farm Management

Why did you come to Purdue: My father graduated from Purdue in 1994 with a degree in Agricultural Economics, and I have grown up my entire life repping the black and gold! Living and working on a family farm, I have been deeply rooted in agriculture for as long as I can remember. So, when it came time to select a university to further my education at, it only made sense to attend one of the best ag schools in the world.

Grant Bell on his family farm

Favorite Purdue tradition: Singing Hail Purdue at every sporting event

Top three influences at Purdue:

  1. Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
  2. My classmates in the College of Agriculture
  3. IFC (Interfraternity Council)

Top five memories of your time at Purdue:

  1. Traveling to Phoenix, Arizona, to watch Purdue basketball play in the national championship
  2. Rushing the football field after defeating #3 Michigan State in 2021
  3. Studying abroad in France
  4. Interning with friends during the summer of 2023 as a spray drone pilot
  5. Late-night VEO scooter rides on campus

Places you have been as a Purdue student:

  • Telluride, CO (Ski Trip with Fraternity Brothers)
  • Indianapolis, IN (AFLV Conference with Purdue IFC)
  • Nashville, TN (Fraternity Formal Trip)
  • Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Spring Break Trip)
  • France (May-mester Study Abroad Trip)
  • Wyanet, IL (Agricultural Spray Drone Pilot Internship)
  • Las Vegas, NV (Fall Break Trip)
  • Houston, TX (Commodity Classic Convention)
  • Jackson Hole, WY (Spring Break Trip)
  • Phoenix, AZ (NCAA Basketball National Championship)

Grant Bell standing with students on France May-mester study abroad trip

Favorite club/organization: Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity

Favorite student-led event/initiative: Ag Week

Favorite Purdue event: Grand Prix

Favorite social activity: Tailgating before football games in the fall

Favorite place to study: ABE 5th Floor

Favorite place on campus: CoRec

Favorite thing about CoA: I really value the smaller class sizes within the CoA. It has enabled me to build so many great friendships with my classmates.

Favorite thing about your major: My favorite thing about my dual major in ASM and Ag Econ is how practical the course content has been. From the moment I started classes at Purdue, I knew that my time spent here was of high value because most of everything I have been taught will play into my future career down the road at some point.

Favorite class: AGEC 331 – Principles of Selling in Agricultural Business

Favorite professor: Dr. Ehlers

Grant Bell standing with his fraternity brothers

Coolest project: My in-person sales final presentation for AGEC 331 during my very first semester as a freshman at Purdue. In the moment, college was still very new, and the presentation was intimidating. However, looking back that final exam was probably one of the most beneficial projects for my career that I ever had to complete during my time in college.

Three biggest accomplishments:

  1. Starting my own business before graduation
  2. Being Vice President of my Fraternity
  3. Remaining on the Dean’s List every semester

Things on your resume not listed above: 

  • Recruitment Chairman – Purdue Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity
  • Director of Recruitment – Purdue Interfraternity Council

Accepted employment? In May 2024, I started my own custom aerial application business in my hometown of Sullivan, Indiana, as a franchise owner and partner of SweetWater Technologies. We utilize agricultural spray drone technology to apply pesticides to row crops!

Grant Bell standing as owner of his new company

  • Name: SweetWater Technologies – Sullivan, IN
  • Title: Owner

Career goal: My long-term career goal is to scale up my drone aerial application business to a point where it is proficient enough for me to feasibly take over the family farming business when my father is ready to retire and then run both enterprises hand-in-hand - alongside each other.

Advice for underclassmen: Stay focused, but have fun! Success is all about balance.

Biggest takeaway from Purdue: Although class work is extremely important, sometimes it’s about the hands you shake, not the classes you take…