Short time on campus, long-lasting impact

Name: Grace Klinkhamer

Hometown: West Lafayette, IN

Major: Agribusiness Management

Certificate: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Why did you come to Purdue: I came to Purdue because I was looking for a great agriculture program with amazing people behind it. I wanted a community that would support me throughout my time while also getting a highly regarded degree.

Favorite Purdue tradition: Some of my favorite traditions at Purdue are simple. Going to basketball games is always one of my favorite things to do at Purdue. I get to go to the games with my friends, and my parents also go to every game, so I enjoy going to see them.

I love going to the Grand Prix and seeing all the students have fun competing. Supporting this old Purdue tradition is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

The College of Ag hosts the Ice Cream Social at the beginning of the year. Going to this at the start of the semester is my favorite because I get to see all of my friends in the College of Ag and celebrate being back on campus.

 

Top two influences at Purdue: 

1. I have had a lot of amazing influences at Purdue. My biggest influence during my freshman year at Purdue was my brother, A.J. He was a senior studying agbusiness sales and marketing. He was such a leader for me during my first year at Purdue. He had a lot of experiences that he was able to share with me and teach me through. A.J. was on the NAMA team with me my first year, allowing me to learn alongside him, which was truly rewarding. He guided me through my first career fair and shared successes and wisdom with me. I think that without him during my first year, I would’ve had a much harder time adapting to the change. He was there for me to lean on when classes got hard, and he was there for me to celebrate with when I had success in school. I truly value how our relationship grew through my first year, and I’m so grateful to have had such a good guide and friend.
2. Another one of my influences was AGEC 298 with Dr. Jay Akridge and Ben Hatfield. This class was so beneficial for me. When I came to Purdue, I had no clue what I wanted to do after college. I felt like there were so many options, but I didn’t truly know the extent of them. This class brought in people from industry, and they talked about their career paths, what they did and how they got to where they are now. This taught me so much about how people’s paths change and that there isn’t a straight shot to figuring out what you want to do. Some people don’t know what they want to do until later in their career. They taught us how to adapt and be ready to enter the workforce after college. I truly appreciate the class and feel like it allowed me to slow down and realize that I have time to figure out what I want to do.

Top five memories of your time at Purdue: 

1. My favorite memory at Purdue is going to the Purdue football games with my friends. Tailgating with everyone before the game is so much fun because I get to go around and see everyone. This allows my worlds to collide, mixing my family with the girls in my cooperative, and also seeing all of my friends within the College of Ag is so much fun!
2. Some of my favorite memories are also from NAMA; I have been in NAMA since my freshman year. The team has always been super close, and we spend a lot of time together at NAMA practices and also outside of class. The meetings are always fun and light-hearted. Going to contest is one of my favorite weeks of the year. We work so hard all year, and seeing it come to life at the contest is so rewarding. I love this team and the opportunity to connect on a different level with each and every one of them.
3. One of my favorite memories comes from my cooperative, Maclure. At Maclure, we all work together to keep the house running. Every night after class or work, everyone comes together for dinner; we sit down, go around the table and play high, low, buffalo. We talk about our days and debrief what is going on in our lives and classes. This is one of my favorites and something I will miss dearly after graduating.
4. During my Junior year, I was blessed with the opportunity to join a School of Business study abroad. This was an amazing experience and allowed me to meet people outside of the COA. I traveled to London and was able to see so many cool places and meet people I wouldn’t have otherwise met.
5. My last memory is All Coop Week; the cooperatives do some philanthropy and work together to create a week for all the houses to come together to play games. We have done construction, volleyball tournaments, euchre games and just simple socials. This is always such a fun week, and I love being able to connect with new people and meet up with friends. This is a truly special week that is always a ton of fun for the cooperative community.

 

Places you have been as a Purdue student: 

• My first year at Purdue, I traveled to Kansas City with the Purdue NAMA Team for the National NAMA Contest; it was such a fun and rewarding experience. I got to travel somewhere I had never been. On this trip, our team learned some very valuable lessons. We worked hard on our plan and didn’t get as far as we had hoped, but we learned a lot about each other and built a connection that has helped us grow and become a better team.
• The summer before my senior year, I took an Internship in Durham, North Carolina. This was a very rewarding experience where I was able to move away from home and learn about the crop side of the industry. Moving 11 hours away helped me learn a lot about myself and learn from others how to become a better leader and apply what I learned to my experiences at Purdue.
• During my internship at BASF, I traveled to Bozeman, Montana, to look at Canola seed plots and how they grow in harsh environments. This was a rewarding experience, and I learned a lot while meeting new people. This is an experience I will be able to apply and take with me after graduating.
• During my Junior year, I went to London, England, with the Mitch Daniels School of Business for a study abroad program learning about Global Entrepreneurship. This was an amazing experience and my first time leaving the country. Seeing the cultural differences was very insightful, and I enjoyed connecting with students outside of the COA. On the way back, one of the girls who was on the trip and I changed our flights and made a stop in Paris, France, for 3 days. It was a short time in France, but it was amazing to see the differences between the 3 countries. Time truly does move a little slower over there.
• Lastly, I traveled to Washington, D.C., with the IN Junior Beef Cattle Association to advocate for the ag industry and talk to legislators about how the Farm Bill was impacting farmers. I enjoyed this so much because we could be the voice of farmers when they couldn’t always speak up. An opportunity to see the Capitol along with making an impact on the Ag Industry was amazing.

Favorite club/organization: Maclure Cooperative

Favorite student-led initiative: Purdue Ag Week

Favorite Purdue event: Purdue basketball games

Favorite place to study: My favorite place to study is the Purdue Memorial Union. I love seeing the mix of professionals from the hotel and the students. This is a great way to study and also people-watch. 

Favorite place on campus: My favorite place on campus is outside of WALC in the evening; the bell tower with a pretty sunset behind it cannot be beat!

Favorite thing about CoA: The people and the support system. Everyone who works in the COA truly cares about the students and does everything they can to ensure we thrive. 

Favorite class: AGEC 331 with Dr. Downey and Amy Cochran

Favorite professor: Dr. Jay Akridge or Dr. Pastor

Class you are excited to take your senior year: I am excited to take my capstone for my major and apply my marketing internship to the marketing classes I am taking. I am also excited to take some electives and learn about some fun/different things before I leave Purdue.

Three biggest accomplishments at Purdue: 

1. Obtaining my internship at BASF is an accomplishment that I am very proud of. A company of this caliber is something I would’ve never imagined I would be working with. They saw something in me that I hadn’t noticed; after my time there, I felt like the work that I was doing was beneficial and meaningful. To me, this is worth more than an award. Believing in myself and realizing I can do hard things and succeed was my biggest accomplishment at Purdue.
2. Becoming the president of my house, Maclure Cooperative, was an accomplishment that I am very proud of. Managing a house of 23 girls was a lot and hard at times, but it helped me learn so much about leadership, and I built connections and friendships that will last a lifetime.
3. As much as I don’t want to leave Purdue, graduating in 3 years is something I am incredibly proud of— working hard to get good grades and trying to finish my degree a year early. Looking back, I was nervous I wouldn’t get into Purdue. If I could tell my past self that I would complete my Bachelor’s degree in 4 years, I am not sure if I would believe myself.

 

Something about you that is not listed on your resume: I am very involved in my county’s 4-H program. The program gave me so many rewarding experiences. In my senior year of high school, I was Supreme Showman, and the following year I competed in our county fair queen contest and was 3rd Runner-up. The program helped me build a strong work ethic and learn how to talk to people. The people I met and the experiences I had during my time in 4-H and after have truly shaped who I am today. I am very proud to say that I am a huge advocate for the 4-H program.

Future plans: After I graduate, I plan to work in industry. I would like to work in marketing, specifically demand creation. After gaining some industry experience, I would like to come back and get my Master’s in Business Administration.

Advice for underclassmen: Lean in! Never say no! Have fun! There are so many opportunities at Purdue; try everything. Go get pancakes at midnight with your friends, go to the den and get a Denpop on Fridays. You will never get the time you have in college back, and as someone who is cutting it short, embrace every minute. Put yourself out there and try new things. If you don’t try because you think you will fail, you have already failed. Doing hard things will help you learn so much. Take every ounce of feedback you get. Feedback isn’t criticism; it is people who care about the growth of students trying to help you be better. The classes will get hard, the work will pile up; learn what works best for you to stay on top of your classes so that when you aren't studying or in class, you can go hang out with your friends, join clubs and do everything that you want to do. Also, lean on your people. The COA has so many resources, and there are so many people that want to see you succeed. Do not be afraid to ask for help!!! Learning this was hard for me because I wanted to be able to do everything myself. Asking for help doesn’t make you weak; it makes you aware. So lean in and never say no. I promise it will be so rewarding, and by the end, you will be so proud of how far you have come. Most of all, with everything you do, do it fully, show up with intention and embrace every experience you’re given. Have fun and don’t wish it away.

The biggest takeaway from Purdue: My biggest takeaway from Purdue isn’t from a class or a club. It’s the people you meet along the way. Learning from failure and growing within yourself. Everyone I have met at Purdue has been truly amazing, and if I could go back, I would do it all the exact same way. Meet everyone you can, and truly get to know them. Meet them and truly connect with them. You will be thankful for those connections later.