Jaydon Kauffman, Olivia Williams and Owen Martin.

Students Lead as Purdue Student Government Senators

Three agricultural economics students currently serve as the three Purdue Student Government (PSG) College of Agriculture Senators. The three include May 2025 Graduate, Jaydon Kauffman; Junior, Olivia Williams; and Sophomore, Owen Martin.


The three represent a breadth of majors and experiences, with Kauffman majoring in AGEC with a policy and pre-law (PLPL) concentration and a dual major in political science. Williams, a transfer student from the University of Maryland, is also majoring in AGEC with PLPL but has a dual major in Spanish. Martin is an agribusiness major with an agricultural finance concentration and minors in farm management and animal science.


As PSG Senators, their responsibilities include representing the students of the College of Agriculture within Purdue’s student government. They advocate for their interests, voice concerns and work on initiatives that enhance the student experience. This involves attending Senate meetings, collaborating with other representatives and ensuring that agricultural students have a strong presence in university-wide discussions.
Kauffman (Battle Ground, IN) stated, “Serving as a COA Senator has taught me the importance of leadership, collaboration and advocacy in driving meaningful change. I’ve learned how to effectively represent and communicate the needs of students, ensuring their voices are heard in university decision-making.”


When asked about the most challenging part of this role, Williams (East Grand Rapids, MI) stated, “I think one challenging part has been understanding the jurisdiction of PSG. While we often come up with big, impactful ideas, there are many bureaucratic hoops to jump through, which can slow down progress. However, this hasn’t stopped us! PSG has been able to make changes at the state capitol, and this challenge has taught me how to navigate perceived limitations in the real world. It’s shown me that while obstacles are inevitable, they shouldn’t prevent us from pushing forward. Persistence, creativity and teamwork can help us overcome even the most complex barriers.”


With four more semesters left at Purdue, Martin is hoping to continue his involvement with PSG. He shared, “PSG has been an amazing experience for me. My favorite part of working in PSG has been the opportunity to meet students from different parts of campus. One valuable skill that I have gained from my time at PSG is to become detail-oriented and to do your research prior to the execution of a plan.”