Unforgettable People, Places and Experiences

Name: Marie Mechley

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Major & concentration: Agricultural Sales and Marketing, Spanish

Minors or certificates: Cornerstone Certificate

Why did you come to Purdue: I loved the campus atmosphere and how rooted Purdue is in tradition.

Favorite Purdue tradition: The dance to Sandstorm, specifically in Mackey before the second half starts.

 

Top three influences at Purdue:

1. LeeAnn Williams (my advisor) who did not stop at just helping me with academics, and helped me through many challenges, such as bad roommates my freshman year.
2. Dr. Downey and Amy Cochran: I am a TA for AGEC 331, and they both have taught me so much both inside and outside the classroom
3. CoRec Operations: I worked there for three semesters, holding multiple managerial positions and learned a lot - both good and bad.

Top five memories of your time at Purdue:

1. When we won the Final Four game in 2024 and they closed off State Street! Crowds of people flooded the streets and everyone was chanting.
2. My roommate and I rolled down Slayter Hill during freshman year to celebrate class being canceled because of snow. Because we did not have sleds, we ended up with snow chunks frozen in our hair, but absolutely no regrets.
3. Showing my Nana how the Starship robots could deliver Starbucks and that they can play you a song when you open them. I Facetimed her every time I ordered one, and she finally got to see one in person!
4. In Mackey, when we played Northwestern, Loyer’s three-pointer made Mackey hit 124.3 decibels, the highest ever recorded in Mackey.
5. Before coming to Purdue, I had never attended a Purdue game, so being in a student section at such a big school with high energy was amazing.

Places you have been as a Purdue student:

Study Abroad: Spain and Portugal, Summer 2024 Maymester

Internships: Caterpillar Business Operations Intern for Oil & Gas in Houston, Texas & Caterpillar Marketing Intern for Building Construction Products in Cary, North Carolina

Favorite club/organization: Agribusiness Club

Favorite student-led event/initiative: Ag Week

Favorite Purdue event: The Farmers Market!!!

Favorite social activity: Watch parties with friends and food for away sports games (in the comfort of someone’s apartment)

Favorite place to study: Krach Center or Second Floor of Rawls in front of the Windows (you can see one of the Purdue arches!)

Favorite place on campus: The Union basement

Favorite thing about CoA: Everyone knows each other, and everyone is so passionate about agriculture.

Favorite thing about your major: There are so many real-world experiences that you are able to learn from in so many different classes. Each class teaches you different lessons that are applicable to so many different fields of work.

Favorite class: AGEC 331

Favorite professor: Dr. Kilders

Coolest project: In AGEC 327, we did an entire market analysis of a company. This included having the owner as a speaker in class, doing market research, using learnings from class, preparing a full presentation, and writing an entire report. The top groups were chosen to present their presentations in front of the owner, and I happened to have the opportunity to be selected. I had to learn how to professionally present criticism and what a market analysis report includes.

Three biggest accomplishments:

1. Being a panelist representing Caterpillar at the Purdue Monarch Leadership Conference as an intern and a Purdue student.
2. I was chosen as a student in 331 to do the Roleplay demo in front of the class, and then the next semester, as a TA, one of my students was chosen and got to be on the other side of the Roleplay.
3. Working a different internship every summer during my college career, exploring career paths in a way I never thought was possible.

Things on your resume not listed above:

• Summer after my freshman year, I was a Precision Agriculture Technical Analyst on an IT team in Crop Insurance. I had no Agriculture or IT experience when I was hired.
• Certified to teach CPR
• I was a caddie at a golf course for seven years. I think it taught me many of my intrapersonal skills.

Career goal: To never stop learning and eventually manage a team.

 

Advice for underclassmen: Step out of your comfort zone. I know it sounds cliché, but even coming to Purdue can be a huge step for some people. You can study abroad, learn a new language, join a club, become a TA, move for internships, and so many other possible opportunities. Keep taking those steps, and you will go far.

Biggest takeaway from Purdue: Change can be good.