Meet Blake Harrold - Investing in his future and making connections across campus
Major: Agricultural Economics
Expected graduation year: Spring 2027
Hometown: Ulysses, Kansas
What helped you make the decision to attend the K-State College of Agriculture?
Growing up, I knew that K-State had a large agricultural community, and during my senior year of high school, I toured and was sold on this place. The moment we pulled into town, I thought, ‘This feels like home.’ I had never felt that way about any other college visit. When I visited the agricultural economics department and spoke with the department head at the time, she laid out what my classes would look like and how my four years would be structured.
I chose the College of Ag at K-State for the sense of community you feel whenever you're here. Everyone is kind, you make so many friends and it's a leading agricultural school in the country.
Are you involved in any clubs or organizations on campus?
I served as the 2025-26 student council president for the College of Agriculture. We help find funding for all the clubs and organizations. We put on the watermelon feed every year, and it always has a great turnout. We also host Ag Week on campus too. Additionally, I am a College of Agriculture ambassador. We help recruit students, take them on campus tours and answer their questions. I am part of the AgEcon club and involved in the Risk Management Fellows Center.
The Risk Management Center is a program run by Dr. Joe Parcell. To get into the class, you have to go through an application process, but once you are accepted, it is worth your time. We meet once a week in the business building, and we learn from local industry professionals and CEOs who come talk to us about managing risk in their businesses. Beyond the classroom, speakers and skill-building activities, we take a fully funded class trip.
Lastly, I am involved in Greek life in the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. I've served as president and have been a member for three years now. It has been a great experience for me.
What do you think sets K-State apart from other universities?
K-State has always been known for its friendly community and happy students. You can see it when you walk across campus. It's our purple pride. Everyone’s wearing purple; everybody has powercats on their shirts. It’s just a sense of community that you don’t get anywhere else.
Compared to other colleges, class sizes get smaller the further you advance in your degree. You get more one-on-one time with your professors and get to know your classmates a little better. I am taking classes currently with just 10 students. We were in our freshman-level class, and here we are three years later, taking our advanced classes. That is where that sense of community comes in.
Hands-on experience is a huge part of the college, and as an agricultural economics major, you wouldn’t think that you’d get as many opportunities compared to other majors. I have taken ag economics classes that are a perfect example of gaining hands-on experience. In AgEcon 520, we participated in a trading challenge using virtual money, wrote trade proposals and traded stocks and commodities to see who could make the most money. It was one of my favorite classes I’ve taken.
After graduation, where do you see your degree taking you?
I am leaning toward ag lending and banking. Last summer, I worked for High Plains Farm Credit in Hays, Kan., and that was a great experience. Without the connections I made at K-State, I don’t think I would’ve gotten that opportunity to grow and figure out what interests me. This summer, I will be working for Bank of the Flint Hills in Wamego, Kan., and I hope this could be a path to a future career so I can stay in this area of the state.
Do you have any advice for future students?
If I could offer advice to any student coming to K-State next year, it would be to get involved. Get involved in as many organizations as you can because that’s where you’re going to meet your friends and the people you will be working with for the rest of your life.