Learning to Thrive in Change
Name: Shay Doerstler
Hometown: Greens Fork, IN
Major & Concentration: Agribusiness Management and Agronomy Crop & Soil Science
Why did you come to Purdue: Growing up I always loved watching Purdue basketball, whether I was at home or standing in Mackey. As I grew older I realized what opportunities Purdue had to offer and knew that it was where I belonged.
Favorite Purdue tradition: My favorite Purdue tradition would be the typical home football game weekend from the Boilermaker Special waking you up to tailgating and cheering on our Boilermakers signing “Hail Purdue!”
Top three influences at Purdue:
- My professors and advisors
- My friends
- The multiple different organizations I’m involved in
Top five memories of your time at Purdue:
(In no particular order)
- Watching Purdue play in the NCAA championship game.
- Going to AFA conference and meeting people from across the nation.
- A day that classes were canceled and we all spent our day sledding on campus.
- Playing tag and capture the flag with all the cooperative houses across campus.
- Making dinner for Mitch Daniels!
Places you have been as a Purdue student:
- Through the Ag Econ department, I have had the opportunity to go on two short-term study abroad trips: one to Italy and another to Spain and Portugal.
- Kansas City, MO and St. Louis, MO through AFA.
- All over Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana throughout my internships.
Favorite club/organization: Ann Tweedale Cooperative
Favorite student-led event/initiative: Grand-Prix
Favorite Purdue event: Purdue for Life Back to Class!
Favorite social activity: Going to Harry’s for 21st birthdays!
Favorite place to study: 2nd floor of Creighton
Favorite place on campus: Ann Tweedale’s front porch
Favorite thing about CoA: My favorite thing about the College of Ag would have to be the people, from the passion for agriculture instilled within students to the push from professors who want to see you succeed!
Favorite thing about your major: My favorite thing about my major is that it allowed me to explore different areas of agriculture through a variety of classes.
Favorite class: ANSC 255 with Dr. Zulley
Favorite professor: LeeAnn Moss
Coolest project: AGEC 331 Ready Set Sell
Three biggest accomplishments:
(again, in no particular order)
- Top 5 Ag Econ Outstanding Sophomore
- Getting the opportunity to be a student co-host for the Agriculture Economics Podcast
- Overall, making the most of my short time at Purdue
Things on your resume not listed above: Sales and Marketing Intern at Corteva, Grain Origination Intern at Cargill, Special Projects Intern at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Club officer, Ag Econ Envoy, Vice President of Finance for Purdue Cooperatives, Purdue Foundation Student Board Member.
Accepted employment? Associate Territory Manager for Corteva Agriscience
Career goal: To eventually own my own business, highlighting Indiana Agriculture to support local farms through agritourism.
Advice for underclassmen: Learn to love constant change because that’s all that you go through for the next 4+ years. The sooner you accept change, the happier you’ll be because it happens when we least expect it.
Biggest takeaway from Purdue: The best thing that I’ll be taking with me from Purdue will be the tenacity to completely buy into the things that I love and the ability to say no to the things that I’m not fully passionate about or do not help me achieve my goals.