.MANRRS: Rooted in Excellence
From farm to fork, agriculture impacts our lives every day. Professionals in agriculture contribute to the ground we walk on, the food we eat and even the food our food eats. The science behind agriculture is rich and demanding. An impressive student organization at Purdue is dedicated to developing the professional skills necessary to succeed in the field that cultivates our future: MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences).
MANRRS- Purdue University is a professional development organization passionate about developing students at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels ensuring preparedness for college, careers and all things in between. Their main mission is the professional development and academic success of students in these fields.
“We are really passionate about the holistic well-being of students,” says Morgan Murff, president of MANRRS, who is majoring in plant science and minoring in international studies in agriculture. “We pride ourselves in our range of majors and classifications as an organization. We build professional skills with a variety of workshops and complement that with social events because professional development is only one part of MANRRS. The other part is finding community.”
Club events include attending regional and national MANRRS conferences, workshops to fine-tune professional materials such as LinkedIn pages and resumes, visiting companies in related fields, movie nights and traveling events. MANRRS holds outreach events to middle and high schools as well, educating upcoming students and future Boilermakers on the agricultural industry. 
Companies such as Merck Animal Health, Syngenta, Corteva and AgriNovus Indiana all connect with MANRRS to engage with club members and teach workshops on professional platforms.
Outside of normal club meetings, MANRRS sends students to visit the regional and national MANRRS conferences thanks to generous sponsors. At these conferences, students engage in competitions and receive feedback from judges on elevator pitches, impromptu speeches and interview skills. Also, students are provided with the opportunity to network with successful professionals in the industry. With a range of students from first years to Ph.D. students, MANRRS is shaping the thinkers of tomorrow who continue to push the boundaries and reform how we think about agriculture.
“The recognition of this club is important because we are making an impact,” emphasizes Murff. “We are not just doing it because we are minorities in agriculture, but because we are Purdue students in agriculture, and because we want to be the best professionals we can be. Helping each other get there is how we achieve that.”
MANRRS earned recognition for its success by winning the Student Activities and Organizations’ Student Organization of the Year Excellence Award, a “lifetime achievement” award for student organizations that demonstrate continued excellence in their programs, leadership and service. MANRRS earned acclaim for the hard work they dedicated to sending more than 50 students and staff to both the regional and national conferences free of charge to promote academic and professional development.
To improve your professional skills, engage in a caring community and make the next giant leap in agriculture, join this organization by checking out their BoilerLink, Instagram and send an email to their advisor, Zachary Brown brow1688@purdue.edu.