Emily Recker 
Grace Klinkhamer 
Tessa Robertson Cooperation is Key
Department of Agricultural Economics students are playing vital roles in the Purdue Cooperative System, a housing system that has been at Purdue for over 75 years! Purdue Cooperative Housing includes 4 men’s houses and 7 women’s houses and is led by the Purdue Cooperative Council (PCC).
Current PCC President, Emily Recker (Junior, Agricultural Economics; Jasper, IN) began her leadership role as secretary of her Fall 2024 Glenwood New Member Class. By her second semester, she was Secretary of Glenwood and PCC Associate President. Although the PCC President’s role takes up a great deal of time, she still maintains positions of Diversity and Inclusion Chair, Assistant Work Manager and Dance Chair at Glenwood.
Recker shared, “When I think about what I’ve enjoyed most as PCC President, it honestly comes down to how much this role has pushed me outside my comfort zone in the best way. I’ve had to depend on other people, manage a team and trust that things will get done even when I’m not the one doing them. And even though it’s been challenging at times, I’ve just loved the community that comes with PCC. Getting to know people from other houses and connecting with members on other councils has been one of the best parts of my time in the cooperative system, and it has made Purdue feel a lot smaller and a lot more like home.”
Recker summarized, “I would say that living in a cooperative is different than any other housing option because you are not just living near people, you are actually living with them. You cook together, clean together and rely on each other in a way you wouldn’t experience anywhere else. This shared sense of responsibility makes the house feel a lot more like a community, and the other members feel a lot more like family.”