Merritt an Emerging Ag Leader
Published: Friday, October 10, 2025
She's been a 4-H'er, FFA member, county fair queen and summer intern. She also spearheaded a fundraising campaign for local food pantries in her home county. Now a senior at Purdue University, Alexandra Merritt recently received an award that aptly describes the person she is becoming: an emerging leader in agriculture.
In August, the 21-year-old from Peru was honored with one of two Women in Agriculture Awards, presented by Purdue University Extension. Merritt received the Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of a high school or undergraduate student who has made a positive impact on agriculture.
Raised on a fifth-generation swine and grain farm, Merritt is double majoring in agricultural communications and agricultural sales and marketing. Last summer, she worked as a communications intern with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. One of her jobs was to take photographs of the 2024 Women in Agriculture winners and oversee the setup of the awards program at the state fair.
Fast forward one year and Merritt was both shocked and humbled to find herself being on the other side of the camera—as one of the honorees. It's something that still hasn't sunken in yet.
"I still look at this thing, and I'm like, 'Holy cow, this is still like, real,'" she said during an interview last week. "I never thought that I could ever get to this point, especially being in college. I thought these awards came when you were retiring."
The recipient of the second Women in Ag Award is Sandy Kleine of St. Joseph County. She received the Achievement Award for her lifetime of work on the farm and in the 4-H community.
Merritt listed her parents, Rusty and Jeanette, along with her late great-grandmother, Betty Lou Maple, as key role models in her life. Rusty recently served as president of the Miami County 4-H Fair board, while Jeanette recently completed her term on the state fair board.
"One hundred percent my parents. I think that's obvious," Alexandra said when asked to name her mentors. "Just looking at their work ethic and how far they've come."
She said her parents model what it means to love both each other and their children.
She said her great-grandmother, a former teacher, was a wise person who would always make time whenever Alexandra stopped for a visit.
"I could sit and listen to her for hours because she truly was someone that I looked up to so much," Alexandra said.
There have been many other people who have influenced her life, including FFA advisors, 4-H leaders and educators.
"My academic advisor for Purdue Econ was the one who nominated me," she said. "I was shocked when they wanted to nominate me out of everyone they see every day. When I got the call that I had won, I seriously was in shock. It's truly humbling. It's such a big accomplishment."
After graduating next spring, Merritt hopes to land a job in the public relations or communications field.
"I really want to advocate for ag without being in the traditional classroom setting," she said.
Agriculture has always been an important part of Merritt's life. She was a 10-year Miami County 4-H'er and FFA member. At Purdue, she currently serves as the social media chair for Purdue Sigma Alpha, an agricultural sorority, as well as social media and publicity chair for the Purdue Ag Counsel. She has also had numerous internships within the agriculture industry.
Perhaps her biggest impact was through a supervised agricultural project in high school. She and her younger sister, Lauryn, partnered with local farmers and the community to raise funds for local food pantries. Now in its fifth year, the effort has raised roughly $60,000 for two food pantries.
Both Alexandra and Lauryn are in college, but their brother, Levi, is taking over the reins of the initiative, known as "Harvest for Hunger."
"Even though we're both at school full-time now, we still oversee it and help my brother when needed," Alexandra said.
The Purdue University senior could be excused for focusing on college life, but that's not who she is. Even while hammering away at her senior capstone projects, Alexandra volunteers as a 4-H fashion revue superintendent and assistant leader for the 4-H swine club in Miami County. She hopes to become the next swine club leader and to become a mentor for younger 4-H'ers.
The Emerging Leader award is evidence that the ag industry has taken notice.
When asked to predict what she will be doing in five years, Merritt said she plans to be giving back in some way.
"I'm still well invested in the 4-H youth and FFA programs in my county and helping out there," she said. "Those programs gave me so much when I was in middle and high school, and I want to give back to those communities forever."
Merritt said she is very humbled to receive the award and is still shocked that people would think so highly of her.
"The fact that my leadership and my talent are being recognized is truly humbling and surreal," she said. "I just can't put it into words."
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