group of manrrs students lined up in front of a display case

Success in Manrrs Leadership

Purdue MANRRS students standing with Dean Bernie Engel

Three Department of Agricultural Economics students have been utilizing their leadership skills to enhance both the Purdue and the National MANRRS organization! Recently, Purdue MANRRS won the 2024 Chapter of the Year, and Purdue MANRRS Advisor Zac Brown won the 2025 Advisor of the Year.

Brynn standing in front of the MANRRS sign lit up with Purdue brand balloons

Current Purdue MANRRS President, Brynn Peterson (Junior, Agribusiness; Indianapolis, IN) jumped in as a freshman as Photography Chair and then served as Public Relations Coordinator her sophomore year. She shared, “As the Chapter President, I have enjoyed getting to know everyone personally. It has helped me learn how to connect with everyone and to bring a community together through thick and thin.” She said her favorite Purdue MANRRS memory thus far has been last year’s annual Hillside Acres trip!

Kenny and Theertha standing in a convention center hallway Theertha standing in front of the John Deere Pavilion

Kenny Yamauchi (Sophomore, Agricultural Economics; College Station, TX) is currently serving as National MANRRS Undergraduate Parliamentarian. In this role, he teaches parliamentary procedures to members, interprets the constitution and bylaws of differing chapters, and takes notes during regional meetings. He expressed, “As a first-year student, I was intimidated by the application process, but Zac knew about my background in parliamentary procedure and supported my application. I definitely wouldn’t have applied without that support from Zac. The leadership position has opened up so many doors for me and polished my professional development.” Kenny has enjoyed his travels to the MANRRS Region V/VI Conference in St. Louis and the National MANRRS Annual Conference in Memphis, TN; he is looking forward to this year’s National Conference in Dallas, TX!

Purdue MANRRS students at a succulent table Purdue MANRRS student activity team in front of College of Agriculture background

Current National MANRRS Region V Undergraduate Vice President Theertha Ramesh (Sophomore, Agricultural Economics; Princeton, NJ) learned about MANRRS during the College of Agriculture BGR Carnival before her freshman year. She stated, “As the Region V Undergraduate Vice President, I have had the opportunity to engage with students from across the Midwest. This exposure has given me valuable insight into how different universities operate and support their members. While I am proud to represent Purdue, learning from and collaborating with students from other institutions has been equally rewarding.” In addition to traveling to the Regional Cluster and National Conference, Theertha participated in the MANRRS Success Program with Farm Credit Mid-America. This gave her the opportunity to focus on professional development and leadership training at their headquarters in Louisville, KY.